Atlanta Braves: What do we have in Bryse Wilson?

Bryse Wilson is one reason that the Atlanta Braves may be a sleeper team this season… not just in the conversation as a starter, but now in the rotation, period.

Many outside sources (and some Atlanta Braves “fans”) have already written off the team for the 2019 season. One of the reasons for this is these so-called experts point out that the Braves rotation is a huge question mark.

I disagree on this point entirely.  Even with resident ace Mike Foltynewicz and Kevin Gausman showing up late to the party due to various arm issues, the Braves have the great fortune of being able to plug the holes left by their injuries and by the departure of new-Washington-National Anibal Sanchez.

I doubt any team had a better trio in the minors available to do that than Kyle Wright, Bryse Wilson, and Max Fried. That doesn’t even mention Touki Toussaint, who was sent back down to Gwinnett to work on his control.

But of these, the one still flying under the radar is the youngest:  Bryse Wilson.

Who is this guy?

Wilson hails from Hillsborough, North Carolina, a town just West of Durham in ‘Eastern Barbecue’ country, a 4th round pick out of high school in 2016.

In a ‘time to blow your mind’ moment, though, get this:  Bryse Wilson is younger than Ronald Acuna Jr.   Yeah – by 2 days.

Still, his is a name a decent amount of Braves fans will be familiar with, but I doubt too many outside of the organization are aware of his talent. His first start in August of last year was a good exhibition of that.

He threw 5 solid scoreless innings in that start, although his ERA on the season was 6.43 (over 3 games, the other two being relief appearances). Obviously, the major league sample size isn’t very large.

In order to get a better idea of how his arsenal plays, I turned to an article by Minor League Ball on SB nation. Here’s some of their great scouting report: 

"“Wilson was the Braves breakout star of 2017. Selected in the fourth round of a draft that saw Ian Anderson, Joey Wentz and Kyle Muller go ahead of him, Wilson was arguably the best of the bunch.The [then] 20-year-old righty (listed at 6’1”, 225) picked up right where he left off last season. It wasn’t fair to Florida State League pitchers as he allowed one earned run while striking out 26 and walking seven in his 26.2 innings before a promotion to Mississippi. He struggled to start his Double-A tenure, but has been the Wilson of old since thanks to a new grip on his already electric fastball, per Doc Herbert.Wilson features a mid-90s fastball, an above-average slider and a change that I particularly like a lot. His ability to adjust and seem unfazed on the mound shows he has the baseball mind to continue to be successful on his rise to the top. “"

Great stuff. I watched Wilson in person this year at spring training during a game vs the Cardinals on March 12th, and he looked great. In that game, he went 4 scoreless innings with 5 Ks and only one walk. Overall, his spring ERA sat at a solid 3.29 over 13.2 innings with 13 strikeouts and 2 walks.

What can we expect?

As most young guys do, I’m sure Bryse will have a blow up or two over the course of the season. I would ask the fans to look past those when they happen. All of these young guys will take their lumps, but it is important for their development for them to be allowed to do this.

That said, if Wilson remains in the rotation after Folty and Gausman come back, I expect him to have a solid season. An ERA in the 3-4 range would be a good start, and it would be a pleasant surprise if he could sneak into the high 2’s.

How does he fit in?

In the long-term, I think he profiles as a solid 2-3 level starter in the rotation. Folty will obviously be the ace longterm, but there will be plenty of open spots. Once the Braves’ control over Gausman expires, I don’t expect him to be resigned. Don’t get me wrong, I like Gausman and what he brings to the table, but there are simply too many talented young arms in the system to keep away.

Taking it for granted that Folty has the top spot locked down, that leaves 4 spots to be fought over by the field.  Newcomb, Wilson, Wright, Touissant, and Fried will all be fighting over these spots, not to even mention Ian Anderson, Joey Wentz, and Kyle Muller. Even amongst that throng, I think Wilson will carve out a role for himself and be a fixture in the rotation for years to come.

On a bit of a tangent, I think some of these prospects will eventually have to be traded because they will languish in the minors otherwise. If that day should come, I want Wilson to be a part of the new rotation order.