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Atlanta Braves Players Who Could Win Comeback Player of the Year in 2023

By Seth Carter

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - MAY 21: Marcell Ozuna #20 of the Atlanta Braves reacts after hitting a solo homer in the sixth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Truist Park on May 21, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - MAY 21: Marcell Ozuna #20 of the Atlanta Braves reacts after hitting a solo homer in the sixth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Truist Park on May 21, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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TORONTO, ONTARIO – SEPTEMBER 13: Nick Anderson #70 of the Tampa Bay Rays pitches in the seventh inning of their MLB game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Rogers Centre on September 13, 2021 in Toronto, Ontario. (Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images) /

Atlanta Braves ’23 Comeback Candidate: Nick Anderson

As a human who lives in the Tampa area, I love this signing. Nick Anderson suffered a partial UCL tear during the spring of 2021. After six games he hit the IL and that was it. Rather than Tommy John surgery he opted for a UCL brace procedure and didn’t show up in The Show again until August of 2022. He remained in the minors until he suffered plantar fasciitis and ended his season.

This dude has barely touched a major-league field over the past two seasons. Don’t let that fool you into forgetting what he was!

Seth Carter from Rays Colored Glasses has this to say about Anderson during the 2020 season: 

"“Anderson has a rising fastball that reaches 98mph. He has a break-neck 12-6 curveball at 83-85 that can seem impossible to hit after seeing the fastball.. Nick Anderson is nasty. He is Josh Hader nasty. On the next slide, we will take a look at how Nick Anderson did the unimaginable last season and actually put up numbers worthy of comparing to the best relief pitcher in the game, Josh Hader.”"

Anderson didn’t make it to the majors until 2019 at the age of 28 and has only pitched 87.1 MLB innings. However, his career ERA is just 2.89 and he has amassed 137 strikeouts in the time. His career WHIP sits at just 0.96 and he has a phenomenal 14.1 K/9.

If Anderson is healthy he could quickly emerge as a high-leverage reliever for the Braves in 2023.

Atlanta Braves ’23 Comeback Candidate: Kirby Yates

Kirby Yates has been in the Big Leagues since 2014. He is entering his age-36 season in 2023. He led the league in saves in 2019 with the Padres with 41. Over 60.2 innings that year he posted an incredible 1.19 ERA. Since 2017 he has struck out 14.0 batters per nine innings pitched while allowing just 2.6 walks per nine.

Yates underwent Tommy John surgery in March of 2021 and pitched in just six games for the Braves last season before going back on the IL with an inflamed elbow. It appears he will have his first “normal offseason” in a while, heading into 2023.

If he can recapture any bit of the form that made him the best reliever in baseball in 2019, he could be an easy choice for Comeback Player of the Year in 2023.

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