Despite a rocky 2019, potential was not lost. Touki Toussaint, with his live arm and electric stuff, could and should still play a major role for the Atlanta Braves in 2020.
Dany Gilbert Kiti “Touki” Toussaint, a pitcher of Haitian descent that was raised in Florida, came to the Atlanta Braves during their rebuild via a trade, but it wasn’t your typical trade.
It was more of a salary-dump situation, one in which the Braves basically purchased a prospect in Toussaint. They acquired Bronson Arroyo and his $10.1 million salary from the Arizona Diamondbacks along with Touki Toussaint. Then, they shipped Arroyo to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Hector Olivera deal, shedding additional salary.
Upon his arrival, his filthy-breaking stuff was on display, but a lack of command plagued him.
2015 Rome: 48.2 innings, 5.73 ERA, 6.1 BB/9, 7.0 K/9
2016 Rome: 132.1 innings, 4.49 ERA, 4.8 BB/9, 8.7 K/9
2017 Florida: 105.1 innings, 5.04 ERA, 3.6 BB/9, 10.5 K/9
2017 Mississippi: 39.2 innings, 3.18 ERA, 5.0 BB/9,10.0 K/9
2018 Mississippi: 86 innings, 2.93 ERA, 3.8 BB/9, 11.2 K/9
2018 Gwinnett: 50.1 innings, 1.43 ERA, 3.0 BB/9 10.0 K/9
It doesn’t take long to see that Toussaint has always had an issue with walks. However, it can be noted that he was at the least, ‘effectively wild’ during his 2017 stint with Mississippi and then, exhibited better command during the 2018 season. It would appear that Touki learned to miss more bats, therefore upping the strikeouts and lowering his ERA.
He was rewarded with a 2018 promotion where his Major League debut went swimmingly well on August 13, as he beat the Marlins. He pitched six innings, walking two batters and allowing just one earned run.
However, when he returned for his September call-up, Toussaint seemed to regress.
2018 Atlanta post-debut: 23 innings, 4.70 ERA, 7.4 BB/9, 10.9 K/9
Many walks, but still, the swings and misses were up, so Toussaint didn’t get destroyed by Major League hitting. Heck, he even found his way onto the 2018 postseason roster, pitching three scoreless innings, but allowing five base runners, four via walks.
Overall, not bad work for a highly rated prospect who sits in the mid-90s with extraordinary breaking stuff. If he could take the next step, 2019 was perhaps Touki’s breakout season waiting to happen.
The best of times, the worst of times
On April 13, after Sean Newcomb allowed seven base runners and four earned runs in an inning and a third, Toussaint marched out and won the game for Atlanta. Touki pitched six scoreless innings against the New York Mets striking out eight batters and walking two — perhaps his finest performance of his pro career.
He was rewarded with a start a week later in the second game of a doubleheader the Atlanta Braves played against the Cleveland Indians. Touki imploded, lasting 1.1 innings and gave up seven earned runs — in part thanks to three hit batters and a walk.
The Braves miraculously won the game 8-7, thanks to excellent bullpen work and a five-run ninth inning that was capped by a two-run double by Ronald Acuna Jr. to seal the win.
After what were his best and worst major league outings, Toussaint seemed to settle into a bullpen role.
In relief, May 3 through June 4: 9 appearances, 17 innings, 1.59 ERA, 4.3 BB/9, 9.5 K/9.
So maybe that was his niche. However, before his ultimate demotion to Triple-A Gwinnett, the next month or so went like this: June 9 to July 18: 13 appearances, 17.1 innings, 8.31 ERA, 7.8 BB/9, 9.3 K/9
What happened here?
In nearly the same sample size, Touki flipped the script and went from very good (but shaky with the walks) to terrible.
It’s all about command. When Touki is right, his stuff is so good that he can live with walking some batters. But, if his mistakes are getting hit in addition to his walks, boy, oh boy, things go bad fast.
When you don’t know what you’re going to get from a pitcher, especially when you’re a contending team, there’s just not a spot for them on the roster.
Does Touki have an immediate role?
The short answer is no. But, there are roles available for him to win. And it’s been discussed before.
Though Touki has been used as a reliever as much as a starter in the major leagues, the fifth spot in the rotation is still open. Toussaint has no chance to dethrone Mike Soroka, Cole Hamels, Mike Foltynewicz or Max Fried.
But, the fifth spot is open, where Touki will need to outpitch the likes of Sean Newcomb, Felix Hernandez, Kyle Wright, and Bryse Wilson. That’s a deep competition.
Hernandez, once one of the best pitchers in baseball for the Seattle Mariners is looking to recapture the magic, and will likely be released over taking a minor league assignment if he doesn’t make the roster.
Everyone else will either be in Atlanta or Gwinnett, fighting for spots, barring a trade of some sort, which will probably happen.
So, is it possible that Touki is our fifth starter come opening day 2020? Sure. Likely? Probably not.
At this point, he’s a long shot, but has the skills and stuff to do it.
What about the bullpen?
Well, supposing the Atlanta Braves run a seven-man bullpen, six of the spots figure to be taken by Mark Melancon, Will Smith, Shane Greene, Darren O’Day, Luke Jackson, and Chris Martin.
If the Braves carry eight relievers, there are two spots open. If you are among the Luke Jackson haters, there are three spots open (but there aren’t really three spots open unless he or someone else gets hurt or implodes)
Vying for those two spots are Jacob Webb, Grant Dayton, A.J. Minter, Chad Sobotka, Jeremy Walker, Patrick Weigel, Huascar Ynoa, and Chris Rusin, along with anyone else the Atlanta Braves may sign to a minor-league deal.
I’m not trying to paint a grim picture for Touki, and to be honest, the first four names have only had limited success in the major leagues. Of the group, I’d have to argue that Minter, Sobotka, and Touki have the ‘best stuff’ but all three of those pitchers have had, at times, serious command issues.
The good news is, the Atlanta Braves have lots of depth, and better yet — that depth has potential. If a couple of these young arms, especially in the 2020 bullpen mix can figure it out, the Braves will be so flush with pitching that it’d take a boatload of injuries to really impact the team.