3 Atlanta Braves to blame for series sweep at hands of Blue Jays
By Mark Powell
Atlanta Braves to blame: A.J. Minter and Raisel Iglesias
Don’t ask me what’s gone wrong with A.J. Minter. How a pitcher goes from one of the best relievers in baseball to a liability on the back end is a mystery to most baseball pundits.
Minter appeared in over 80 games last year for the Braves and had an ERA just over two. He was arguably the best high-usage pitcher in MLB, and certainly the national league. Yet, here we are just months later and every time Brian Snitker puts Minter in the game, Atlanta residents hold their breath.
As Sports Illustrated points out, there’s really only one noticeable flaw in Minter’s game from this year to last, other than obvious control issues:
"“The only noticeable change is usage: After throwing his changeup almost 20% of the time in 2022, he’s dialed it back in 2023 to 11.9%, with most of that difference going into the cutter. It’s possible that sequencing and/or game-calling issues between Minter and new catcher Sean Murphy is to blame, but either way, it’s something Atlanta needs to figure out soon.”"
Minter, though, isn’t the only Atlanta bullpen issue. Raisel Iglesias has given up two runs in his last two outings, thus blowing a couple of saves in the process. The Braves need Iglesias to be rock solid, and he hasn’t been that since returning from injury. Just under a week ago, I suggested that Braves fans shouldn’t overreact to one blown opportunity by Iglesias:
"“As for Iglesias, Atlanta baseball fans shouldn’t freak out. He was activated off the injured list just under a week ago, and is one of the best closers in baseball when he’s hot. And when he’s not, the Braves have other capable pitchers who can fill that role, including Joe Jimenez and more.”"
It’s true, Iglesias had just returned from injury. Nonetheless, if Snitker insists on using him in these high-leverage situations rather than letting him get his feet wet, then perhaps it is time to worry in the ATL. Something isn’t right.