Fair or not, Tyler Mahle was considered a consolation prize when the Atlanta Braves acquired him, and not Jacob deGrom, at last month’s trade deadline. DeGrom turned heads when he reportedly refused to waive his no-trade clause and instead stayed with the Rangers. Whether his turning the Braves down had anything to do with some sense of loyalty to the Mets remains unclear, but an injury-ravaged Braves staff at least managed to land Mahle from the Giants.
Mahle turned in another impressive outing on Saturday night, limiting the rival Phillies to one earned run over six innings. Not only did Atlanta clinch the season series, but the Braves moved to six games up in the NL East.
“Everyone’s playing well,” Mahle said. “Everyone’s out there competing. I’ve never pitched in ballgames like this, so it’s just a lot of fun.”
Even if he wasn’t their first choice, Mahle has more than met the task of being a capable No. 2 behind Chris Sale.
How Braves pitcher Tyler Mahle compares to Jacob deGrom
Given that we referenced deGrom, let’s take a quick look at how the two have fared since the trade deadline.
Stat (Since Aug. 3) | Jacob deGrom | Tyler Mahle |
|---|---|---|
Starts | 7 | 7 |
ERA | 3.28 | 1.25 |
Innings pitched | 35.2 | 43.1 |
Walk rate | 6.8 | 3.6 |
Strikeout rate | 38.3 | 22.9 |
Home run rate | 2.3 | 2.4 |
Batting average against | .177 | .215 |
As we recently discussed, deGrom has been phenomenal in his last three outings, so recency bias absolutely helps his numbers. But anyone who pays attention during the season’s first month knows how quickly one ugly start can send a pitcher’s ERA skyrocketing.
The Braves, much like the Dodgers, have an incredibly talented but injury-prone pitching staff. Spencer Strider and Spencer Schwellenbach are both sidelined with elbow injuries once again, and Bryce Elder (knee) remains questionable to return this year.
Why Braves fans should have faith in Tyler Mahle
What’s especially remarkable about Mahle’s brief time in Atlanta is how much better he’s been at keeping the ball out of the stands. His 5.13 ERA in 94.2 innings wasn’t helped by a 3.5 home run rate, which is in line with his lifetime 3.3 average.
Yet, he’s only allowed four homers since joining the Braves, and none came in the same start. Whether you believe his allowing a home run in four different outings is better than allowing three over five innings is a matter of perspective, though even we’re not that cynical.
The bottom line is that Atlanta has won five of Mahle’s seven starts, and they’ve all but clinched the NL East. Time is running out for the Braves to beat out the Dodgers for the NL’s No. 2 seed, and they don’t meet again; Atlanta holds the tiebreaker and took five of six from the Dodgers, for whatever that’s worth.
All signs point to Sale and Mahle starting Atlanta’s first two playoff games, with either Grant Holmes or Martín Pérez earning the nod in Game 3. We’d personally go with Pérez given his experience, but at least Mahle is primed to make his first career postseason start.
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