Atlanta Braves free agents: Pass or pursue on all five player options
By Josh Wilson
Collin McHugh, RP: Club option $6 million
Collin McHugh is slated to get a raise from $5 to $6 million if the Braves pick up his option for 2023. The right-handed relief pitcher appeared in 41 games to the tune of a 4.30 ERA and 4.09 FIP. After two years of sub-1.00 WHIP, that increased to 1.568 in 2023.
McHugh's pitching took a huge step back in 2023. His sweeper, after a +9 run value in 2022, fell all the way to -7 in 2023. His cutter a +8 in 2022, fell to an even zero in 2023. In his 11th year (did not play in 2020) it seems quite likely McHugh has started to regress, and fast. That, or changes in play like the pitch clock and disengagement rules have disproportionately impacted McHugh's production.
Another theory is that the sweeper, as it became a more widely-used pitch across the league, became familiar to batters and easier to hit. McHugh throws it plenty, so maybe he was disproportionately impacted by that fact.
Battery Power pointed to McHugh's over-reliance on two pitches, one of which he struggled to keep in the zone (sweeper) and one that was all too easy to hit. He may need to up the usage rate on his fastball and/or changeup in order to reinvent himself.
McHugh didn't make the team's roster for the NLDS. That should tell you what you need to know about his future in Atlanta.
There could be a chance he reinvents himself from here to stick around in the league, but it won't be with Atlanta. The Braves need steady, certain pitchers to retool their rotation and relievers for next year, and McHugh is far from a guarantee in that regard.
Verdict: Pass