Jacob Webb could be the Atlanta Braves closer of the future
By Seth Carter
Who is the most likely candidate to take over for the Atlanta Braves as closer should Melancon and Greene falter, or once they depart in free agency after 2020?
Mark Melancon and Shane Greene are likely to begin the year at the back-end of the bullpen this season for the Atlanta Braves.
Both players are on the final year of their contracts. Melancon has been a little rocky the past few seasons, despite being the Braves’ best option down the stretch last season.
You know how it goes with closers. A few bad outings and the games of musical chairs begins.
So considering the possibility of an opportunity opening up for someone other than Greene or Melancon in 2020 – and looking to the void the Braves may have in 2021 – here is why Jacob Webb is the man to take over.
The resume
Jacob Webb was sensational last season for the Atlanta Braves. He finished his first 32.1 Major League innings with a 1.39 ERA.
Between AA-AAA in 2018, he saved 18 games and finished with a 3.13 ERA. Webb has a track record of being a strikeout artist in the Minor Leagues: in his five seasons he compiled 218 K’s in 177.2 innings. His career ERA over those 177.2 innings is 2.89.
Outside of the numbers, my take-away from watching Webb is that he has ice water in his veins. He was unflappable in tight spots.
There is no metric to support an assertion like this, but he had the look of a closer. Webb has studied the art of being a Major League closer and was quoted during a broadcast that his goal is to be a Major League closer.
He began his apprenticeship when he was taken under the wing of former All-Star closer, Troy Percival. Percival knows what it takes to be a successful closer in the Majors, as he finished his career with 358 saves and a 3.17 ERA.
The road to close
With Shane Greene and Mark Melancon in the way, how can Webb find his way to the back-end of the pen? If the coaching staff believes in him as a future closer, he will only be an injury or a few bad outings from an opportunity.
To get an idea of how he is viewed by management, just look at his usage last year. The former Minor-League closer made his debut on April 16, 2019, and earned his first Major-League save just 13 days later.
It’s actually best for us all if Webb does not claim the closer’s role this year. That would mean Melancon and Greene performed admirably, leaving guys like Webb, Luke Jackson, and Darren O’Day for the remainder of the relief duties.
The bullpen has the potential to be dominant in 2020 and beyond. Should the back-end of the bullpen falter in 2020, the future could be now.