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3 Atlanta Braves players that won’t be on 2020 Opening Day roster

By Jake Mastroianni

ATLANTA, GA - APRIL 4: Atlanta Braves mascot Homer stands at attention during the national anthem before the Opening Day game against the Washington Nationals at Turner Field on April 4, 2016 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - APRIL 4: Atlanta Braves mascot Homer stands at attention during the national anthem before the Opening Day game against the Washington Nationals at Turner Field on April 4, 2016 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images) /
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ATLANTA, GEORGIA - APRIL 06:
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - APRIL 06: /

Kyle Wright

I may have mentioned this here already, but I follow the college game very closely as well, and I especially keep an eye on some of the top college prospects.

When the Atlanta Braves took Kyle Wright fifth overall in the 2017 MLB Draft I was shocked and disappointed.

I get that even after three years college pitchers aren’t a finished product, but Wright battled command issues all through his junior year and did look anything like a top-five pick.

His ERA his junior year at Vanderbilt was 3.40, which is solid, but a lot of evaluators thought he had definitely regressed and should drop to the back-half of the first round.

I say that to tell you that I’ve had a bad attitude (unjustly) towards Wright since that draft night.

In my opinion, the Braves reached.

But that does not mean that Wright is a bust and won’t have a solid Major League career. He has an ERA of 3.70 in 54 Minor League starts with a K/9 right at 9.

The problem is that his walk rate goes from 3.1 BB/9 in the minors to 6.7 in the majors.

If he can figure out those command issues, I think he can be a solid middle of the rotation pitcher.

But it’s time to let him figure out those command issues with another team.

Like Riley, Wright still has a lot of value in a trade. The Braves need to use that to make a major upgrade this offseason.

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