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2016 Atlanta Braves - Starting Pitchers

Julio Teheran, RHP
There was more virtual ink spilled trying to figure out Teheran’s season than over any other Braves pitcher in 2015. Atlanta’s former top prospect signed a six-year extension in February 2014 and responded by establishing himself as a borderline no. 1 starter with a sub-three ERA that year. Fade out happily on 2014, fade back in on mid-June 2015 and you see a 5.07 ERA. Teheran's lopsided home-road splits were analyzed to death, but all that did was muddy the fact that he couldn’t command his fastball or get bite on his slider. Smash cut to August and he’s throwing from the first-base side of the rubber instead of the middle, spotting his four-seam fastball while throwing it with more conviction and getting sharper break on his slider. He even improved the feel for his changeup, which helped slow the bashing from both left-handed hitters and switch-hitting bloggers. Closing montage: seven total runs allowed in his final six starts. Stick a Post-it next to Teheran’s season line to remind you that development isn’t always linear.

Matt Wisler, RHP
As with Hector Olivera, the Braves are nothing if not persistent. They wanted Wisler badly, but swung and missed when they dealt Justin Upton to San Diego. When the Padres called back in April, the Braves took another hack and this time connected in the Craig Kimbrel trade. Wisler has the prototypical no. 3 starter’s arsenal: a plus-potential fastball, plus-potential slider, developing changeup that could be above average and a fringy curveball. His greatest present attribute is plus control, which is a good bit ahead of his command, and that’s why he’ll occasionally get rocked as he matures. He had his share of growing pains over 19 starts in his major-league debut, but he finished strong and looked increasingly comfortable. There's no sexy, ace upside here, but Wisler is mid-rotation worthy and should be for a long time.

Williams Perez, RHP
If Perez’s sinker sank any more, it’d submerge like a submarine in the South Seas. If it had any more downward movement, it’d head underground and become God Emperor of Dune. What we’re trying to tell you is that Perez gets a lot of movement on his fastball, which is why he threw it 72 percent of the time. He earned a shot in the thin Braves rotation, but his 20 starts were an up-and-down affair depending on whether he could command his fastball that day. Perez is, as you surely guessed, effective when locating the pitch down in the zone and on the corners, but the question is whether that will happen often enough for him to remain a starter. Best guess is that his future lies in middle relief, but he’s still young, so dream what dreams you will.

Jhoulys Chacin, RHP
Second on the Rockies’ career ERA list, Chacin was cut from the team last year as mechanical and velocity concerns piled up. (And when the Rockies are ready to cut ties, then oh man.) On came the minor-league deals: first with the Indians, where he opted out after a month in Columbus, then to Arizona and the promise of sixth-man shuttle service. Success showed up in small doses, and he added a cutter that got strong whiff and groundball action and turned him into a true six-pitch pitcher. He also recovered one of the 2 mph that his sinker lost in 2014.

Bud Norris, RHP