HEADLINE: “Battery Power: Braves Look to Even Series in Duel of Rising Star Pitchers”
SUBHEADLINE: “In a matchup for the ages, Bryce Elder and the Atlanta Braves face off against Logan Gilbert and the Seattle Mariners in a battle of the rising stars, with the series hanging precariously in the balance.”
What’s Going Wrong: Walks, Strikeouts, and Hard Contact
Spencer Schwellenbach has looked a bit more mortal in his past three starts than he did to start the season, but truthfully his start in Toronto was the only one where he really got tagged up. His strikeouts are down a touch in this young season, but he maintains an impressively low walk rate and boasts a 3.03 xFIP on the season. His fastball is up a tick from last year, but has gotten hit a bit so far this year as the top offering of his true six pitch mix.
He has had the most success off of his slider and splitter, as his splitter currently has an impressive 38.3% whiff rate. Let’s hope to see Spencer have his signature command and pick up a healthy number of strikeouts against the formidable LA lineup.
The Matchup: A Clear Advantage for Atlanta?
Breaking Down the Arsenal: Sasaki’s Elite Extension and Erratic Location
Roki Sasaki, on the other side, has not gotten off to quite the start to his major league career that he would have wanted, coming over as a potential superstar from Japan. His ERA is a solid 3.55, but his xFIP, FIP, and xERA all are solidly in the 5s. He hasn’t managed to strike out particularly many batters, at only 7.11 K/9, but the walks have been killing him, as he has walked nearly as many has he has struck out.
His biggest struggles came in his first two games, where the walks were really out of control, but his strikeouts have also taken a nosedive more recently along with the walks, and he started giving up harder contact as well. His arsenal looks fine, with elite extension, a hard fastball with some impressive arm-side run, a sweeping slider, and a very vertical splitter.
The Braves’ Edge: Schwellenbach’s Signature Command and Low Walk Rate
The fastball has lived near the heart of the plate though, and the secondaries have been very erratically located. It’s the fastball that has primarily been hit hard, but he really needs to figure out his command on all of the pitches to bring the walks down, hard hits down, and strikeouts up.
He’s still quite young and talented, but he hasn’t hit the ground running the way some thought he might in LA. An added tidbit is that the Dodgers are calling up Korean infielder Hyeseong Kim from their AAA affiliate ahead of Saturday’s game, after the 26 year old signed a 3 year, 12.5 million contract with LA coming from the KBO in the offseason. Kim has posted a 105 wRC+ in AAA.
Additional Storylines
Hyeseong Kim: A New Face in LA and a 105 wRC+ in AAA
For all of Sasaki’s talent, this sure seems like a clear pitching advantage for Atlanta, as Schwellenbach has been so good in his young major league career. Here’s hoping we can get a vintage outing from the Braves’ young star and Atlanta can finally get their first win over LA in the year 2025.
Game Info and Broadcast Details: Everything You Need to Know for Saturday’s Game
Game Date/Time: Saturday, May 3, 7:15 p.m. EDT
Location: Truist Park, Atlanta, GA
TV: FOX
Streaming: MLB.tv
Radio: 680 AM / 93.7 FM The Fan
Conclusion
As the Braves and their opponents face off in the highly anticipated duel of rising star pitchers, the stage is set for a thrilling contest that will showcase the impressive skills of both teams. Throughout the article, we’ve delved into the key points and main arguments highlighting the exceptional performances of the two pitchers, their strengths and weaknesses, and the strategies employed by their respective teams.
The implications of this series are far-reaching, as the winner will not only take the lead but also demonstrate their potential to dominate in the future. The Braves’ ability to even the series will send a strong message to their opponents and the league, cementing their status as a force to be reckoned with. Moreover, this series serves as a benchmark for the development of young pitchers, as they strive to outdo each other and establish themselves as top-tier talent.