After another solid spring training start, it’s time for the Atlanta Braves to go ahead announce Mike Soroka as their Opening Day starter in 2020.
I’m writing this a bit preemptively, but I think it’s pretty safe to say that Mike Soroka will be named the Opening Day starter for the Atlanta Braves in the next couple of days.
I mean, who else is it going to be?
The Canadian was by far the best starting pitcher for the Braves in 2019 posting a 2.68 ERA in 174.2 innings with 142 strikeouts and a WHIP of 1.11.
He’s set to not only lead this rotation this upcoming season but for a long time.
As we all know, whoever takes the mound on Opening Day for the Braves in 2020 will break the streak of Julio Teheran who made six consecutive Opening Day starts for Atlanta.
While I love Julio and what he did for this franchise primarily over the last seven seasons, I’ll be glad to see him pass that torch onto someone else.
And while I’m at it, I wish Julio all the best in Anaheim and hope he helps finally give us Mike Trout in the postseason.
But this is Soroka’s year, and it’s time the Braves make it official. He’s the leader of this rotation going forward and he deserves to get that Opening Day start.
I don’t know if he’ll ever join Julio and Warren Spahn as the only Braves pitchers to make six consecutive Opening Day starts, or if he’ll ever break Spahn’s record of 10 Opening Day starts, but he is the ace of this team going forward.
Not that there is a rush to name the Opening Day starter with just over two weeks to go, but I really thought they would make it official after his start on Tuesday when he pitched 4 scoreless innings.
He’s now pitched 8.2 innings this spring and given up 3 earned runs on 7 hits and 5 walks with 7 strikeouts.
But if spring training stats are meaningless for any starting pitcher in the Braves camp this spring, it’s Soroka.
He’s going to be in the Braves starting rotation as long as he’s healthy, and pretty soon we’re going to hear he’s getting the ball on Opening Day.