Braves Spring Training: Max Fried, Ian Anderson both struggle in debuts
It was not a good 2020 spring training debut for Atlanta Braves pitchers Max Fried and Ian Anderson on Monday afternoon.
Going into the Atlanta Braves Monday afternoon game there was a lot of excitement as we were going to get the 2020 spring training debuts of talented pitchers Max Fried and Ian Anderson.
Fried enters the 2020 season firmly atop the Braves rotation and someone who could be in line for a breakout season.
While Anderson enters 2020 as the Braves top pitching prospect and someone we could see join the big league rotation sometime this season.
However, neither of them got off to the start they were hoping for in 2020 as neither lasted an entire inning.
Fried gave up 3 earned runs on 3 hits and 2 walks. He came out pumping the fastball to the first two hitters and left them up to get smashed.
He started mixing in the curveball and got some swings-and-misses, including the only out he recorded on a strikeout.
But ultimately he struggled with his command. It’s his first outing, so we obviously aren’t going to worry too much about it.
As for Andeson, you know he wanted to come in and put on a show. But it sounds like he was overthrowing a bit and couldn’t command his pitches either.
He gave up 1 earned run on 2 hits and 2 walks with a strikeout, and he also balked.
Hopefully he’s able to settle down in his next outing and show everyone why he’s the Braves’ top pitching prospect.
And it’s worth mentioning that both pitchers suffered from some misplays on defense.
Fried gave up a deep flyball to right field that landed at the feet of Cristian Pache. It sounds like Pache misplayed it — and the wind may have had something to do with that happening.
Anderson gave up a hard-hit ball to shortstop that went off Dansby Swanson‘s glove. Swanson told Anderson “my bad” signaling that it was a ball he should have had.
Other game notes:
* Dansby Swanson had a pair of hits, including an opposite-field hit in his second at-bat. The best-hit ball he had was probably the one he got out on as he lined a ball right back up the middle where the second baseman happened to be positioned. All-in-all, good signs for Dansby.
* The Braves’ young catchers continue to impress defensively. Alex Jackson did a great job blocking balls on Monday, and then he threw out a base runner trying to steal in the fourth inning.
The Braves will take the field again on Tuesday against the Minnesota Twins. With it being a road game for the Twins, I doubt we see Josh Donaldson.