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Atlanta Braves: Top Five Greatest Feats of Leo Mazzone Magic

By John W. Scafetta

Kevin Millwood of the Atlanta Braves in visited on the mound by pitching coach Leo Mazzone . (Photo credit should read JEFF HAYNES/AFP via Getty Images)
Kevin Millwood of the Atlanta Braves in visited on the mound by pitching coach Leo Mazzone . (Photo credit should read JEFF HAYNES/AFP via Getty Images) /
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Atlanta Braves pitcher Greg Maddux talks with pitching coach Leo Mazzone AFP PHOTO (Photo credit should read DOUG COLLIER/AFP via Getty Images)
Atlanta Braves pitcher Greg Maddux talks with pitching coach Leo Mazzone AFP PHOTO (Photo credit should read DOUG COLLIER/AFP via Getty Images) /

5. John Thomson: Atlanta Braves 2004 – .305 BABIP, 3.90 FIP

The 2004 season was a year of transition for the Braves. After Maddux bolted for free agency, J.D. Drew was the new cornerstone in the outfield, and a young Adam LaRoche took over at first base. Times were changing.

The starting rotation was a shell of its former self. Russ Ortiz was now the ace, and John Schuerholz and company were seeking a filler for a starting five that also included Mike Hampton and Horacio Ramirez.

After Maddux signed with the Chicago Cubs just two days earlier, John Thomson may not have been the obvious choice for most Braves fans.

Thomson’s 2003 season in Texas saw him establish career highs in wins, starts (35), innings pitched (217), strikeouts (136), and complete games (three), but the overall sample size during his big league stint was far from stellar.

When Atlanta inked him to a two-year, $7 million contract, Mazzone masterfully molded the right-hander into an incredibly consistent starter.

In 2004, Thomson went 14-8 with a 3.72 ERA in 198 ⅓ innings. He racked up 133 strikeouts (the second highest total of his career) and gave up less hits (210), earned runs (82), and hits per nine innings than his 2003 campaign. Mazzone helped him hone his location with a ground ball percentage rate of 47.4, as Thomson assisted the Braves to a 96-win season.

4. Russ Ortiz: Atlanta Braves 2003 – .250 BABIP, 4.17 FIP

While on paper, Russ Ortiz in the fourth spot here may appear to be a stretch. After all, Ortiz showed quite a bit of promise in 1999 (18 wins) and 2001 (17 wins) with the San Francisco Giants. The right-hander’s most glaring issue, though, was his control, as he averaged 106 walks per season in his final four years in the Bay Area. But despite a 14-10 season with the Giants in 2002, he was traded to the Braves for pitchers Damian Moss and Merkin Valdez that December.

That’s when Mazzone went to work.

Powered by increased run support, Ortiz outperformed Maddux from a statistical standpoint, finishing his 2003 All-Star season fourth in the Cy Young Award voting with a 21-7 record and a 3.81 ERA in 212 ⅓ innings. He posted his lowest hits per nine innings total (7.5) of his career and became the Braves’ first 20-game winner in three years.

After a strong 2004 campaign, Ortiz signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks in the offseason where his ERA ballooned to 6.89 the following season.

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