Can we just admit it? Teheran has had a productive and useful career with the Braves. But right now we just can’t trust him enough for October baseball.
It’s time for a rant. Is it just me or do I sense that seeing the Atlanta Braves name Julio Teheran as a starting pitcher for the NLDS is a lock? And that it is not even a question of “if” but more like “when”?
I hope that the starts this week against the New York Mets for Julio and Touki Toussaint are not just a formality but that they are somewhat of an audition.
Julio has been such a tease for so long: we have thought he was an ace, then some of us have wanted him traded, then he will have a good start then he won’t make it out of the third inning… the inconsistency from him can drive you mad.
You never know how to feel when he is on the mound. Is he going to show flashes of the pitcher we want him to be or is he going to end with a stat line giving up 4 runs? What is more maddening is that we have to hear that he ‘pitched better than his stat line’. Lets try this: lets just pitch better!
In October there is no time for experiments; as we know, playoffs are not a guarantee.
Bring the Reliable
I want to see the best players on the field. I do not care about tenure or how long Julio has been on the team: I want to win!
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Julio has been such a trick or treat player. Just why do we still look at him as if he is an ace or anything close to it? If we are being honest, he is a #4 or a #5 pitcher with a great contract who has not lived up to our hype.
Mike Foltynewicz , Kevin Gausman and Anibal Sanchez seem like they are locks for the rotation but that 4th spot should go to Touki Toussaint.
Yes he is a rookie but this is the same kid who has pitched well against some potent line-ups like the Boston Red Sox, Arizona Diamondbacks, Washington Nationals and a team fighting for a playoff spot in the St Louis Cardinals.
He needs to be pitch not only because I believe he has better stuff but also because he is showing an apparent maturity level beyond his experience.
Look – we know who Julio is and I feel that at any moment he can have an inning that he gets blown up and give up 4 runs in an inning. There is no need to slow down the process this is not about feelings, this is about winning and game 4.
Instead, I want to see Touki out there making batters look silly.