Atlanta Braves starting pitchers’ dominance makes waves

The dominance of the 2024 Atlanta Braves rotation is starting to turn heads. In the eighth MLB.com According to the starting pitcher rankings this season, two Braves left-handers managed to crack the top 10 after previously being unranked. Another Braves right-hander also received votes.

In a year where No Braves position player is a starterA few arms continue to make their case for approval.

Chris Sale – Ranked 9th

At this point, Chris Sale showed he wasn’t just good for one month. Sale officially backtracked in 2024.

“Sale’s rejuvenation this season — at age 35 and after years of injury-related frustration — has been more than impressive,” MLB.com wrote of Sale.

The numbers speak for themselves. The ranking only used statistics up to Tuesday, July 2, but we will take into account its performance on Wednesday night because it got a mention in the comment.

After a brutal June 1 outing against the Oakland A’s – he allowed eight earned runs in four innings – Sale has a 1.97 ERA, a 1.69 FIP, held opposing hitters to a .165 average and struck out 45 batters while issuing just nine walks.

Excluding the June 1 start, his ERA on the season would be 2.06. He also leads MLB in wins (11), FIP (2.24), WHIP (.913) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (6.68).

Sale has clearly established an All-Star case and is in contention for the Cy Young for the first time since 2018 — the last year he received votes.

Max Fried – 10th in the ranking

The Braves ace narrowly slips into the rankings to complete the top 10 just behind teammate Sale.

“Fried is set to become a free agent after this season, and right now he’s pushing hard to get a contract,” MLB.com wrote.

He’s definitely going to make a lot of money this winter. He’ll be an unrestricted free agent after this season. Fried He has a 2.91 ERA, a 1.094 WHIP, one shutout and two complete games. Since shutting out the Marlins on April 23, he has a 1.92 ERA, a 2.87 FIP and a .186 opponents’ batting average.

With a strong start and a healthy body, Fried has a second All-Star appearance in sight.

Reynaldo Lopez – Votes received

The hitters made Reynaldo Lopez He’s made an effort in his last two starts, but some journalists have still shown him some affection for the season he’s had so far. He should still be seen as a step up in the rankings, this is the first time he’s received votes.

In 13 starts, Lopez posted a 1.57 ERA and still has a 1.83 ERA this season. He hasn’t shown the same dominance as his rotation counterparts with a 1.147 WHIP and 3.12 FIP. But he does the most important thing as a starter, which is strike out hitters and prevent runs.

The reality is that Lopez probably won’t get any Cy Young votes when the season is over, but he should at least receive an All-Star nomination for his outstanding season.