Atlanta Braves: Where does Touki Toussaint fit in after a rocky 2019?
By Josh Mathews
Despite a rocky 2019, potential was not lost. Touki Toussaint, with his live arm and electric stuff, could and should still play a major role for the Atlanta Braves in 2020.
Dany Gilbert Kiti “Touki” Toussaint, a pitcher of Haitian descent that was raised in Florida, came to the Atlanta Braves during their rebuild via a trade, but it wasn’t your typical trade.
It was more of a salary-dump situation, one in which the Braves basically purchased a prospect in Toussaint. They acquired Bronson Arroyo and his $10.1 million salary from the Arizona Diamondbacks along with Touki Toussaint. Then, they shipped Arroyo to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Hector Olivera deal, shedding additional salary.
Upon his arrival, his filthy-breaking stuff was on display, but a lack of command plagued him.
2015 Rome: 48.2 innings, 5.73 ERA, 6.1 BB/9, 7.0 K/9
2016 Rome: 132.1 innings, 4.49 ERA, 4.8 BB/9, 8.7 K/9
2017 Florida: 105.1 innings, 5.04 ERA, 3.6 BB/9, 10.5 K/9
2017 Mississippi: 39.2 innings, 3.18 ERA, 5.0 BB/9,10.0 K/9
2018 Mississippi: 86 innings, 2.93 ERA, 3.8 BB/9, 11.2 K/9
2018 Gwinnett: 50.1 innings, 1.43 ERA, 3.0 BB/9 10.0 K/9
It doesn’t take long to see that Toussaint has always had an issue with walks. However, it can be noted that he was at the least, ‘effectively wild’ during his 2017 stint with Mississippi and then, exhibited better command during the 2018 season. It would appear that Touki learned to miss more bats, therefore upping the strikeouts and lowering his ERA.
He was rewarded with a 2018 promotion where his Major League debut went swimmingly well on August 13, as he beat the Marlins. He pitched six innings, walking two batters and allowing just one earned run.
However, when he returned for his September call-up, Toussaint seemed to regress.
2018 Atlanta post-debut: 23 innings, 4.70 ERA, 7.4 BB/9, 10.9 K/9
Many walks, but still, the swings and misses were up, so Toussaint didn’t get destroyed by Major League hitting. Heck, he even found his way onto the 2018 postseason roster, pitching three scoreless innings, but allowing five base runners, four via walks.
Overall, not bad work for a highly rated prospect who sits in the mid-90s with extraordinary breaking stuff. If he could take the next step, 2019 was perhaps Touki’s breakout season waiting to happen.