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Atlanta Braves Scouting Report On Reliever Carlos Salazar

By Benjamin Chase

Jul 26, 2014; Atlanta, GA, USA; Detailed view of Atlanta Braves second baseman Tommy La Stella (not pictured) hat and glove in the dugout against the San Diego Padres in the third inning at Turner Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 26, 2014; Atlanta, GA, USA; Detailed view of Atlanta Braves second baseman Tommy La Stella (not pictured) hat and glove in the dugout against the San Diego Padres in the third inning at Turner Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports /
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Carlos Salazar was drafted by the Atlanta Braves as a fireballing arm for their rotation, but he’s now working out of the ‘pen. How has the transition gone?

Player Profile

The Atlanta Braves selected Salazar in the 3rd round of the 2013 draft out of high school in California.

Known for his big arm, the Braves brought Salazar along easily, sending him to the Gulf Coast League in 2013. He made 8 appearances but only threw 13 innings. Plenty of damage was done in those 13 innings, as Salazar posted a 6.92 ERA, 1.77 WHIP, and a 5/14 BB/K ratio, though he did not allow a home run.

The Braves were so encouraged by his success with his control in the GCL that they bumped him past the Appalachian League straight to Rome in the South Atlantic League and full-season ball in 2014.

Salazar instead had a rough go of it with Rome, making 10 starts, but only throwing 35 2/3 innings, posting a stunning 10.60 ERA, 2.38 WHIP, and a 38/27 BB/K ratio.

The Braves sent him back down to Danville in the Appy League, where he relieved the rest of the summer, and he posted very solid numbers in 17 appearances and 28 2/3 innings there, finishing with a 2.51 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, and an 18/34 BB/K ratio.

Overall, the 2014 season finished with Salazar posting a 6.99 ERA, 1.83 WHIP, and a 56/61 BB/K ratio in 64 1/3 innings over 27 games, 10 of them starts.

The Braves left him in the bullpen full time in 2015, and he split his season between Rome and high-A Carolina, posting a 2.70 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, and 50/60 BB/K ratio over 33 games and 56 2/3 innings.

Salazar spent the first season of his career all in one location in 2016, spending the whole year in Carolina, and his effectiveness had a reverse bell curve as his ERA had a more traditional bell curve shape.

In April and May, he was nearly unhittable, posting a line through June 1st of 21 innings pitched, a 0.86 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, and a 21/26 BB/K, but that was fueled by a crazy-low .103 BABIP, which corrected quickly.

From the first of June through the end of July, Salazar went the other direction, allowing a .407 BABIP, and seeing his numbers clock in with an 8.10 ERA over 20 innings, accompanied by a 2.50 WHIP and 25/24 BB/K ratio.

From the first of August through the end of the season, however, was more of what you could expect from Salazar. He had a normal-ish BABIP of .263, allowed a very low .143 BAA, and in 12 IP, he posted a 2.25 ERA, 1.67 WHIP, and 14/22 BB/K ratio.

Next: Salazar's scouting report

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