How will the Atlanta Braves utilize the “piggyback”
By James Kunkle
Unprecedented times calls for unprecedented measures. That’s certainly the case for the Atlanta Braves and MLB in 2020.
Last Thursday, Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker acknowledged that the Braves will opt to utilize the piggyback rotation method that the Tampa Bay Rays have used the most throughout baseball for the last few seasons.
In an effort to possibly prevent injuries to pitchers who perhaps will not be fully stretched out to go 6,7, or 8 innings in a game, the Braves will use a traditional starting pitcher for three or so innings and then bring in another pitcher to hopefully go two or three innings.
This will certainly not be as big a deal for the first 15 games as teams will start with the expanded 30 man rosters before they have to trim down to 28. It’s becoming more and more obvious that those final few spots will likely go to pitchers who can bridge the gap from the starters to the traditional bullpen guys.
So who does this help, and what can we expect at least for the first few weeks?
First things first, it’s almost a guarantee that Felix Hernandez would have made the Atlanta Braves team now, but as we have said before on here, no one can fault any player for not playing in the 2020 season. It would have been a great story, but it just was not meant to be.
On paper, it seems rather obvious who the starting five are going to be Mike Soroka, Max Fried, Mike Foltynewicz, Cole Hamels, and Sean Newcomb. The player this probably helps out the most is no doubt Cole Hamels, as we do not fully know where he stands with the shoulder injury he suffered right before the start of the original spring training.
The following five players are most likely the ones who’s chances of making the opening day roster have increased with the Atlanta Braves opting to utilize this form of thinking.
Once it was being questioned if Wright would make the opening day rotation over Newcomb and Hernandez with Hamels being ruled out. It stands to reason Kyle Wright will be the “6th man” in the rotation this year, as he will most likely be the guy that starts for an injured starter and what not. It seems obvious he could very well be one of the guys pitching some 4th, 5th, and 6th innings.
Tomlin, a veteran who has basically been in this role the last few years. He could very well be used in the same capacity but maybe the Atlanta Braves opt to go a different route?
Touki already has a tad bit of MLB experience, and will likely along with Kyle Wright serve in one of these spots. Over the last few years, it has looked like Touki’s career might be more suited for the bullpen, at least if he stays in the Braves organization. Maybe this will be the best of both worlds type of scenario?
I, along with other writers on this site, have said in the past Wilson projects to us better long term as a piece coming out of the bullpen. For someone like Bryse Wilson, this could be a perfect scenario.
Most likely the biggest wild card of this group. Brought in over the winter as a free agent, it’s hard to say what the Braves view for Matzek’s long game here. His stock might rise or go down based off of the next few weeks.
A couple of other pitchers the Atlanta Braves included on the 60 man pool of players could get a shot.
Those being Tucker Davidson, Ian Anderson, and Kyle Muller. However, I do not see the Braves rushing them up, especially under the circumstances this season will be played upon.
Let's go ahead and talk 2021. dark. Next
It will no doubt be interesting to see how this goes, and if it kind of fades away once the rosters start dripping down to normal size. Nothing is unusual in 2020 anymore.