Almost no one had Bryce Elder being the Atlanta Braves' best pitcher through the season's first couple of weeks, but that is exactly what has happened. It isn't crazy that Elder succeeded at all because, well, we have seen him be a quality pitcher before. The guy did make an All-Star team in 2023 and has had good stretches since then.
However, the fact that he has been a huge reason why the Braves have been able to preserve their bullpen while keeping Atlanta in every one of his starts so far is still pretty wild. Next up for Elder is the Guardians on Friday, and they could prove to be quite the test.
Cleveland has historically not been a team that one has to worry about their offense. Typically, they have been a pitching-first squad that has some pesky hitters that wear you down just enough to squeak out wins. However, this Guardians team is legitimately dangerous on offense, and their specific skillset could give Elder and the Braves' defense some fits.
The Braves' defense may have to come up big for Bryce Elder to continue his run of success against the Guardians
On paper, this matchup should favor Atlanta. They are up against righty Slade Cecconi, who could have his hands full dealing with the left-handed duo of Drake Baldwin and Matt Olson. Elder has also been uniquely good this year at getting guys to swing at "his" pitches and chase out of the zone, as well as at getting ground balls. The issue is that the Guardians have guys who know how to make contact and prolong at-bats.
Steven Kwan is just one example here. Kwan is a guy who has made a career out of being an annoying contact hitter as well as a very good defender. He doesn't chase out of the zone and knows to put balls where there isn't anyone to catch them. Given that, it is hardly surprising that he has had success against Elder (1.000 OPS against him in seven at-bats. Then you have Jose Ramirez, who is off to a slow start this season, but who might also be the most underrated player in baseball right now, and who can beat you in a number of ways.
Those are just two examples, but one thing is very clear. If Elder is going to have a good night on the mound on Friday, the Braves' defense is going to have to come to play. The Guardians are going to put the ball in play...a lot. Most of the time, they are going to be grounders looking for holes and flares to the shallow outfield. If Atlanta can cover those holes and turn them into outs, Elder should be in great shape. If not, prepare for the Braves to get BABIPed to death and for the offense to need to shoulder a much heavier load.