Atlanta Braves fans love a good story about a local kid, and they ESPECIALLY love new players that have real connections to Braves of years past. One rather easy path for a player to become a fan favorite among the Braves faithful is to be from the southeast and be related to a player that Atlanta fans remember fondly, although they do still have to play reasonably well to stay in their good graces.
Recently, the Braves signed one such player who fits that very mold. While not widely reported, the team's transaction log shows that the Braves signed Peyton Glavine to a minor league deal. To the surprise of no one, the last name is not a coincidence, as he is the son of Braves Hall of Famer Tom Glavine.
Braves sign Peyton Glavine, son of Tom Glavine, to a minor league deal
Even at the most basic level, this is a fun story. The elder Glavine has been a fixture on Braves broadcasts since he retired before the 2010 season and was obviously one of the absolute best pitchers in Atlanta history. That his son, who also happens to be a lefty pitcher, has joined the Braves' organization just feels right.
The younger Glavine is a pretty solid player in his own right. He was drafted in the late rounds of the 2017 MLB Draft out of high school, but opted instead to attend Auburn University, where he played for three seasons. Glavine ended up in the Nationals' organization, where he battled injuries repeatedly, but he still managed a 3.42 ERA across 76.1 innings of work in the minors.
It is kind of funny, some of the similarities here. In addition to being a lefty, the younger Glavine doesn't strike out a ton of batters, but limits hard contact well and has a walk rate that makes one think he is trying to get those same calls on the corners that his dad built a Hall of Fame resume on getting. However, Glavine's best path forward appears to be as a reliever if he makes it to the majors at all, and his injury history basically confirms that.
Having the Glavine name and throwing with his left hand is no guarantee of success, as much as some fans may want to believe otherwise. However, it is pretty fun that the next generation of Glavines is getting a shot with the Braves, even if it makes fans of his dad feel a bit old.