Atlanta Braves: Who Needs to Step Up in the NLDS?

The Atlanta Braves won their first postseason series since 2001 and now advance to face the Miami Marlins in the NLDS. Who needs to step up for the Braves to move on to the NLCS?

The Atlanta Braves swept the Cincinnati Reds in the Wild Card Series to move to the NLDS where they will face a familiar foe, the Miami Marlins.

The Braves were led by strong pitching from Max Fried, Ian Anderson, and the bullpen, pitching 22 scoreless innings. This was needed as the Braves offense was relatively quiet, scoring only two runs in the first 20 innings of the series, before Marcell Ozuna and Adam Duvall both hit two-run home runs in the 8th inning of game two.

The sweep of the Reds sets up a big showdown with the Miami Marlins in a five-game series scheduled to take place in Houston starting on Tuesday.

Who needs to step up for the Atlanta Braves in order to defeat the Marlins and advance to the NLCS?

The answer? Kyle Wright.

Yes, we would like to see the offense come to life and provide more support for the pitching than they did for the first 20 innings of the postseason. Yes, Max Fried and Ian Anderson looked dominant in their first postseason starts.

However, Kyle Wright is the x-factor for the Braves in the NLDS.

Looking at the NLDS schedule, there are no games off between games. That means if Max Fried starts game one, he probably does not start again until game five.

A normal year, he maybe pitches game four on short rest. With only three days between games, it would be a risky choice to send Fried out there for game four.

Enter Kyle Wright. If he pitches a solid game, possibly going five innings, and gives the Braves an opportunity to not overwork the bullpen, that could be a turning point in the series.

Game four may be started by Huascar Ynoa, Bryse Wilson, or maybe even Mike Foltynewicz. There is a chance the Braves find themselves in the bullpen by the 4th inning.

If the Braves have to use the bullpen a lot in game three, it could be troublesome for the rest of the series.

Also, If the Braves are up 2-0, Wright could shut the door on the Marlins. Thus, giving them a few days off to reset their rotation going into the NLCS.

However, what if the Braves are 1-1 or down 0-2? Game 3 becomes an extremely important game if you are the Atlanta Braves.

I would imagine a month ago, Kyle Wright was probably off the postseason roster. After his start against the Washington Nationals on September 13th, Wright was sporting a 7.20 ERA.

Then, Josh Tomlin suggests Kyle Wright move to the first base side of the rubber and it proved to be beneficial to the young right-hander. Over his last two starts, Kyle Wright pitched 13 innings, only allowing two runs and three hits total.

Maybe the most important stat, Wright cut down on his walks, only walking four walks in those last two starts.

Wright does not have to be Max Fried or Ian Anderson next week. He just needs to give the Braves a shot to win.

If Kyle Wright can throw five strong innings and keep it close, we know how dangerous the Braves offense can be at times. A big performance by Wright gives the Braves a shot to move past the NLDS and possibly make a deep run this postseason.

If Wright regresses back to the guy we watched earlier this season, there is going to be a lot of pressure placed on Max Fried, Ian Anderson, and the rest of the team to keep the playoff hopes alive.

Kyle Wright needs to step up for the Braves in the NLDS against the Marlins. Kyle Wright may not only be the x-factor for the Braves going into the NLDS, but for the rest of the postseason.