The Atlanta Braves are expected to have a solid starting rotation going into the 2017 season. The front office has brought in a couple veterans to compliment the young players already on the roster. The starters will determine a large part of the success the Braves see this season.

Atlanta Braves Position Preview: Starting Rotation

The Ace

While there is no true ace on the staff, that role is going to Julio Teheran. At just 26-years old, he is the best pitcher on the Braves. When coming up through the minor leagues, he was more of a high velocity arm. However, he now relies on command and placement of different pitches. This has helped him become a more complete pitcher. He is signed until the 2019 season, with a club option for 2020. This contract allows Teheran to be apart of the Braves future for at least another three years. Teheran posted a 4.9 WAR in 2016, good enough for second on the team behind Freddie Freeman with 6.5. This means Teheran accounted for around 4.9 more wins than a replacement level player would have. His WAR will be expected to increase as he gains more experience year after year.

The Middle

Bartolo Colon, R.A. Dickey, and Jaime Garcia, in no particular order are starters two through four. Atlanta signed Colon for $12.5 million. This is a fairly team friendly deal considering how much experience he will bring to the young players for the Braves. Once a flamethrower, Colon now throws fastballs in the low 90’s and a solid changeup, but he is very good at locating the ball. He has learned to reinvent himself to stay in the league since his debut in 1997. The things he has learned along the way bring valuable lessons to the many young arms the Braves have in the minors waiting to be called up.

Dickey debuted in 2001 and brings a different view to opposing batters. He is one of the handful of pitchers in the majors to throw a knuckleball. When the pitch is working properly, it is almost impossible to make solid contact because not even Dickey knows where it is going. The knuckleball is also less taxing on the pitching arm, allowing him to pitch longer in the league. At 42, he has seen many different hitters, and he can also bring great experience in addition to tidbits of information to the young pitchers.

Atlanta received Garcia on a high upside trade this offseason. Despite being just 30 years old, he has an injury history. The good news is that his contract is up after the 2017 season, allowing the Braves to move on if they feel they have better players available. As the only lefty in the rotation, Garcia becomes very valuable. It will be up to manager Brian Snitker to determine how he wants to build the rotation. Having a righty, lefty, and then a knuckleball pitcher seems the likeliest option, but only time will tell.

Fifth Spot

While there is technically a competition for the fifth and final rotation spot for the Braves, it is Mike Foltynewicz‘s to lose. He is also young and was a part of the Evan Gattis trade. At only 25 years old, Foltynewicz has many solid years ahead and began to break out last year. He flashed moments of brilliance last season with the ability to hit 97 mph with his fastball on a consistent basis. Having a full year under his belt with the additions of Colon and Dickey will allow Foltynewicz to continue to make positive strides in becoming a mainstay in the Braves rotation for years to come.

Young Guns

There are a plethora of young arms in the Braves system that can contribute this year or in a couple years. This is the reason why the front office wanted veteran players on one year deals. Sean Newcomb pitched well in the few spring training games he has seen so far, but he was sent down to Triple-A to continue to work out. Max Fried has looked incredible so far in Spring Training, but he still needs another year or two. There are many more young arms like Newcomb and Fried who just need the opportunity and will shine for many years to come.

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