The Braves have to convince Newcomb he’s best suited as a reliever
We already know Newcomb can do it as he was great for the Braves in 2019 as a reliever. However, I thought Brian Snitker didn’t use him enough and often pulled him too quickly.
He did get more than three outs in 11 of his 51 relief appearances that year, but I want him to get more.
And it’s not like he’s a LOOGY, he actually has better numbers against righties throughout most of his career despite being a left-handed pitcher.
In Newcomb’s career, he has a 4.38 ERA as a starter (which is probably better than most would have thought) and a 3.00 ERA as a reliever — with all but one of those relief appearances coming in 2019.
The big thing is that his k-rate went up and walk-rate went down as a reliever, which indicates he’s much more comfortable and dominant in that role.
His average fastball velocity also went from 92 MPH at the beginning of 2019 as a starter to 95 MPH as a reliever — that’s a huge difference.
That fastball velocity was back down to 93 MPH in 2020 and hitters crushed his fastball.
And his best pitch has always been his big curveball, and when that fastball isn’t as effective, neither will the curveball be.
I really think Newcomb has the ability to be an Andrew Miller type for the Braves if he’s willing to commit to the role.
Now the Braves just have to convince Newcomb that’s the best path forward for him in the big leagues and get him on board.