Bryse Wilson tossed four scoreless innings and Ronald Acuña Jr went 3-for-3 in the Atlanta Braves win over the Cardinals on Tuesday.
It’s no secret that the Atlanta Braves are rich in pitching prospects. We have heard all Spring about how well Kyle Wright, Touki Toussaint, and Max Fried have pitched so far. However, Bryse Wilson has recently been receiving a lot of attention as well.
Today’s game saw Bryse Wilson toss four shutout innings against the Cardinals. The Atlanta Braves prospect would only allow one hit in his fourth appearance of the Spring. Wilson finished with a line of 4 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, and 5 Ks.
Wilson has earned a 2-0 record and carries a 1.86 ERA in 9 2/3 innings pitched. Jim Powell and Joe Simpson were raving about his performance on the Braves Radio Network. They spoke about how well he commanded his pitches and wasn’t afraid to go upstairs with his 94 MPH heater.
Bryse discussed how much more confidence he has had in his breaking pitches this Spring. That is clearly reflected in his ability to get swings and misses on Tuesday.
VIDEO: Here's what Bryse Wilson had to say following his four scoreless innings against the Cardinals this afternoon. Wilson allowed just one hit, with one walk and five strikeouts. https://t.co/pfshNevXCl
— 680 The Fan (@680TheFan) March 12, 2019
Other Notable Pitching Performances
It was a great day for Atlanta Braves pitching as all four pitchers combined for 12 strikeouts. Wilson went four innings, Shane Carle and Luke Jackson each pitched a couple of innings, and Wes Parsons sealed the win for Atlanta.
Shane Carle worked himself out of a couple of jams during his appearance today. The Braves right-hander pitched around a leadoff double in the fifth inning and runners on second and third in the sixth inning. Carle allowed zero earned runs on three hits while striking out three batters.
The Atlanta Braves are extremely lucky to be in a position where they have numerous internal options for the rotation and bullpen. This depth is extremely important throughout a 162 game season where injuries are expected.
Would it be nice to have a front line starter and lock down closer? Sure. However, I’m encouraged by how well these young guys have pitched. Let’s hope it translates over to the regular season.
Reigning NL ROY Acuña Jr. Continues To Crush The Ball
Ronald Acuña Jr. had one heck of a game Tuesday as he went 3-for-3 with 2 RBI. Acuña Jr. finished a triple shy of hitting for the cycle. He launched a long solo homer to left center field after battling with Cardinals pitcher Miles Mikolas.
Acuna's solo shot off Mikolas gives him two homers a double and a single within his past four at-bats.
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) March 12, 2019
The Atlanta Braves left fielder has had a monster Spring Training so far. In 25 plate appearances, Acuña Jr. carries a slash line of .360/.448/.760. He has nine hits including three home runs and 5 RBI and owns an OPS of 1.208.
It seems that Acuña Jr. is already in mid-season form and batting clean-up hasn’t seemed to bother the 21-year-old whatsoever. In an interview after the game, Acuña Jr. discussed how comfortable he has felt all camp and is encouraged by his increased patience at the plate.
VIDEO: Ronald Acuña homered again on Tuesday, a solo shot against Miles Mikolas in the fourth inning. Here's what he had to say following the game.https://t.co/CqCIjnWsl0
— 680 The Fan (@680TheFan) March 12, 2019
Hopefully, this is just the beginning of great things to come for this Braves squad as we approach Opening Day. They will need to be consistent day in and day out if they expect to defend their National League East title.