{"id":117369,"date":"2026-03-31T11:38:53","date_gmt":"2026-03-31T15:38:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/?p=117369"},"modified":"2026-03-31T11:38:53","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T15:38:53","slug":"atlanta-braves-former-all-star-feels-better-than-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2026\/03\/31\/atlanta-braves-former-all-star-feels-better-than-2023\/","title":{"rendered":"Braves Former All-Star Feels \u2018More Complete\u2019 Than He Did in 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"

Despite all the injuries in the starting rotation<\/span><\/a>, the Atlanta Braves are 3-1. Welcoming in the Athletics, the Braves received a solid pitching<\/span><\/a> performance from right-hander Bryce Elder<\/a> to open the series. <\/span><\/p>\n

The former All-Star (2023) pitched six shutout innings while striking out five and walking one in his first start. Braves manager Walt Weiss<\/a> said of Elder\u2019s performance, \u201cHell of a job by Bryce,\u201d\u00a0 Weiss said to Mark Bowman of MLB.com<\/span><\/a>. \u201cI\u2019m really proud of him.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Elder helped to ease Braves fans’ worries about him and a depleted starting rotation<\/span><\/a>. Elder had a 4.73 ERA and allowed seven earned runs in 13.1 innings this spring.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Bryce Elder Feels Like He\u2019s a More \u201cComplete\u201d Pitcher This Season for the Atlanta Braves<\/h2>\n

\u201cI think I\u2019m more complete,\u201d Elder said. \u201cI think in \u201923, I went on a run and was just making good pitches over and over again. But from a stuff standpoint and the crispness and stuff, yeah, I absolutely do.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Elder is three years removed from his best season \u2014 12-4 with a 3.81 ERA in 2023 \u2014 and had back-to-back down seasons. In 2024, Elder had a 6.52 ERA, and in 2025, a 5.30 ERA. Elder started in Triple-A Gwinnett and shuttled back and forth for the remainder of the season.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Braves Catcher Jonah Heim Emphasized How Bryce Elder\u2019s Stuff Has Jumped Up<\/h2>\n

Veteran catcher Jonah Heim<\/a> emphasized how Elder\u2019s stuff has gotten better. Saying, \u201che’s got so much run with his sinker.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen he’s got so much run with his sinker, you\u2019ve got to play that back-and-forth game with both pitches,\u201d Heim said. \u201cWhen you\u2019ve got all that movement, and you can locate north, south, east, and west, it makes it really easy on me to call a game.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Though it\u2019s a small sample, Elder\u2019s whiff percentage on his sinker has increased from 15.2% in 2025 to 23.1%. Elder also increased the vertical drop on his changeup, going from 31.7 inches in 2025 to 33.7 inches, per Baseball Savant<\/span><\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n

Bryce Elder Helps the Braves Win Their First Challenge of the Season<\/h2>\n

If pitching a shutout through six innings wasn\u2019t enough, Elder helped the Braves win their first ABS (Automated Ball\/Strike system) challenge. Facing Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers<\/a> in the top of the fourth inning, Heim challenged a low strike call that was deemed a ball by home plate umpire Dan Bellino.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Challenge ACCEPTED \ud83d\ude0e pic.twitter.com\/X1Fy4BV1rb<\/a><\/p>\n

— BravesVision (@BravesVisionTV) March 31, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n