Atlanta Braves: Is 2017 a make-or-break year for trio of young pitchers?

Last Chance at a Good Impression

Unfortunately for Foltynewicz, Wisler, and Blair, their inability to capitalize on their time in the majors thus far may come back to haunt them. They’ve now been given a very small window to prove their worth.

Dickey, Colon, and Garcia will likely claim many of the available starting opportunities this season while fresh blood like Newcomb, Fried, Toussaint, and Sims will push for those same opportunities in 2018.

Whoever claims the fifth starter role out of spring training (in what what will be at least a five-way battle with our trio plus Collmenter and John Danks) could be pitching not only for his fate in 2017 but his overall future with the club.

While opportunities to make spot starts and showcase one’s talents were plentiful last season (see: 16 different starting pitchers), there’s no guarantee that that trend will carryover into 2017. The addition of two workhorses (Dickey and Colon) and a guy who made 30 starts in 2016 (Garcia) make it unlikely.

Silver Lining

If there’s a glimmer of hope for the our young pitchers, it’s that Atlanta has made purging the roster an annual tradition.

If any of the team’s veteran additions pitch well, they’ll be virtual locks to end up the trading block. While the Braves could benefit from having seasoned professionals mentor their budding pitchers, they’ll probably part with any of the three if a contender comes knocking.

Also, even if they were to resist the urge to trade their vets, it’s practically unheard of to have a full rotation’s worth of pitchers make it through the season unscathed. The looming threat of injuries and ineffectiveness is a constant. There may not be as many spot start opportunities but there will almost certainly be some.

Further, many of the prime competitors for those opportunities (Rob Whalen, John Gant, Williams Perez, and Tyrell Jenkins) are no longer with the team. When those openings arrive, Foltynewicz, Wisler, and Blair will have the first chance.

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Only Time Will Tell

So, what does any of this even mean?

It means that the Braves currently employ at least three pitchers who, despite their respective struggles, still possess tremendous talent and who could each become a contributor at the big league level. It also means that those three pitchers have a lot to prove in the coming season.

When Atlanta was in the tear-down/bottoming out stage of their rebuild, players were allowed to work through poor performance and attempt to right the ship. As they gradually move towards contention, the opportunities to play through rough patches will begin to dry up, especially for unestablished players.

That may be abrupt and harsh, especially for a guy like Blair – whose 70 big league innings are hardly enough to draw any meaningful conclusions. On some level, though, it’s just the nature of the beast. The team invested heavily in pitching as part of their talent-acquisition efforts. Now, it’s time to separate the wheat from the chaff.

Next: Gimme the Keys

I’m rooting for all three – Foltynewicz, Wisler, and Blair. They’ve experienced varying levels of success but each shown at least flashes of promise. However, if they don’t deliver on that promise in 2017, after its inaugural season, they may only appear in SunTrust Park as visitors.