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Atlanta Braves postseason rotation: Touki Toussaint deserves a start

By Fred Owens

ATLANTA, GA - JULY 31: Atlanta Braves mascot Blooper and left fielder Ronald Acuna, Jr. #13 play around in the dugout during a rain delay before the game against the Miami Marlins at SunTrust Park on July 31, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Mike Zarrilli/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - JULY 31: Atlanta Braves mascot Blooper and left fielder Ronald Acuna, Jr. #13 play around in the dugout during a rain delay before the game against the Miami Marlins at SunTrust Park on July 31, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Mike Zarrilli/Getty Images) /
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Mike Foltynewicz

I’ve been beating the drum for Mike as a starter since he arrived from Houston but he’s been frustratingly inconsistent. As late as May 4, I felt that he might need a change of scenery. Then he turned it around.

In the stretch between May 10 through August 24, the Bazooka from Minooka established himself as the #Braves number one starter. During that time, he made 18 starts, threw 108 innings, held opposing hitters to a .190 batting average, struck out 126 (29%), walked 39 (9%) and posted a 2.33 ERA (3.16 FIP.)  Lately, he struggled.

In four starts since, he’s thrown 25 2/3 innings, struck out 19 (17.9%), walked nine (8.5%) and while batters hit a puny .200 against him and his WHIP held at 1.09, his ERA jumped to 4.21 and his FIP landed at 4.47.

Maybe it’s simply a case of hitting a wall and having to pull himself over it. His 170 2/3 innings so far this year are 16 more than he’s ever thrown in the majors. Maybe he’s been unlucky – I know umpires squeezed him in his last outing.

Whatever the case, his 2.90 ERA places him fourth on the list of qualified NL starters behind Jacob deGrom, Aaron Nola and Max Scherzer. He has to pull himself out of this hole because he will certainly start game one of the NLDS.

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