Atlanta Braves: Max Fried projected to lead starting staff in 2020

Max Fried had some rough starts for the Atlanta Braves in 2019, but things are looking up for this left-hander.

Though Max Fried had the second most wins of all NL pitchers, anyone who watched him pitch last year knows it was not always the easiest thing to watch. He gave up 80 runs in the regular season, the second most of anyone on the Atlanta Braves starting pitching staff next to Julio Teheran.

There was, however, never a lack of run support when Fried was on the mound. The Braves scored 4 or more runs in 27 of the 30 games where he started. It was most definitely this run support which allowed Fried to reach 17 wins in the regular season.

One example of this run support is the July 27th game against the Phillies. Fried gave up 5 runs in 5.1 innings pitched. This struggle did not matter though, because the Braves offense would put up 15 runs in this game and give Fried the win.

Despite the many runs he allowed, Fried had a good first full season in the major leagues. He grew a lot throughout the season, even when riddled with those pesky blisters, which makes the possibility of him improving in 2020 even greater.

The Braves definitely have rotation needs coming into the season after losing two of their starters in free agency. The best solution for these needs would be our young pitchers like Fried stepping up to take on more innings and becoming better more well rounded starters.

If Fried continues his pattern of growth, he can be a large part of this solution.

Soroka has already cemented himself as a powerhouse in the rotation, but projections lead me to believe that Max Fried will be someone to seriously watch out for on the mound in 2020.

Can Fried improve to be a better pitcher than Soroka and prove himself as a staff this upcoming season?