Atlanta Braves: Pitchers most likely to win ’20 Cy Young (Part 2)

Mike Foltynewicz

Despite being lauded as a power-armed, strikeout pitcher, Folty has only exceeded nine strikeouts per nine innings once in his Major league career.

In 2018, Folty finally put the skills together and found himself in the All-Star game. He struck out nearly 10 batters per nine that year.

The significant change for Mike Foltynewicz that season was a reduced reliance on his blazing (yet straight) fastball and increased usage of his slider. He increased his slider usage from 21.1% in 2017 to 27.2% in 2018. He finished eighth in Cy Young voting that season.

Last year he was set to end Julio Teheran’s reign as the five-time Opening Day starter in Atlanta, but his elbow issues caused him to miss most of April.

Upon his return, his fastball was traveling much slower than usual, and still very straight. He had lost three miles per hour off of his heater and was having severe troubles locating.

After a June 22nd outing in Washington, in which Folty lasted four innings and gave up four runs, the Braves sent him down to Gwinnett to get straightened out.

Upon his return, in August he posted 29 Ks in 27.2 innings with a 3.90 ERA. Then in September, he made five starts with a 1.50 ERA.

It appeared that once his injuries were behind him, he looked to be the Cy Young candidate he was in 2018.

If Foltynewicz can come out of the spring healthy, there’s a real chance he puts his name back in the hat for a Cy Young. He’ll be another year wiser and yet, still young.