Should Atlanta Braves Exile Mike Foltynewicz to the Bullpen?
By Fred Owens
May 24, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Mike Foltynewicz (48) pitches against the Milwaukee Brewers during the first inning at Turner Field. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
There’s been a lot of discussion about whether Mike Foltynewicz should remain a starter or be shuffled off to the bullpen. Many are giving reasons why he should go that don’t hold up to close scrutiny so let’s explore the situation and see if we can come to a consensus.
To The Bullpen Nine Games In
Nine starts this season have been enough for fans to declare Folty a floppy and demand his exile to the nether regions of the bullpen from which few pitchers who throw 97MPH emerge to be come starters again. Is that a long enough evaluation period?
Let’s look at some numbers after nine major league starts.
| BB | SO | WHIP | |
| 5.06 | 32 | 38 | 1.640 |
High ERA, high WHIP, strike outs and walks about even. . .Oh wait those aren’t Folty’s numbers. Those numbers belonged to Randy Johnson after his first nine major league starts. So we send the Unit to the bullpen right? Well no, that would be silly.
No one is suggesting that Foltynewicz is the new Randy Johnson. He is however is a young, tall, long limbed pitcher like Johnson with three pretty good pitches who, again like Johnson in 1989, lacks consistency and has control problems.
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Yet after just nine starts some have decided he’s never going to be a starter the Braves should send him to the pen. More on that logic later, for now here’s a question for you to ponder.
Without scurrying off to look up any numbers, which of those pitchers should be relegated to the bullpen after their first nine major league starts.
| ERA | BB | SO | WHIP | FIP | |
| A | 5.20 | 23 | 14 | 2.009 | 5.50 |
| B | 5.10 | 30 | 20 | 1.657 | 5.28 |
| C | 5.98 | 20 | 21 | 1.574 | 4.07 |
| D | 5.14 | 26 | 28 | 1.673 | 3.52 |
Next: And the answer is?