Ever since he made his MLB debut in 2018, Braves fans were waiting to see the Kyle Wright that took the mound in Game 4 of the 2021 World Series. When the 2022 season began, the question became - will he be able to replicate that performance consistently? So far, the answer is yes.
Doing his part to solidify his spot in the rotation moving forward, Wright (1-0 1.64 ERA) has turned in two exceptional starts and has been a bright spot for Atlanta on the hill. With 15 strikeouts, Wright is tied for 7th in the league and his 0.73 WHIP is good for 12th.
92.9 The Game’s Joe Patrick says that while it may be unrealistic to expect Wright to sustain this level of success all season, he has a chance to make a real difference for the defending champs.
“If you get these kinds of performances from him, it’s a total game-changer. He changes your rotation from being two-deep with a probable good third in Ian Anderson to a really solid four-man rotation,” Patrick said.
MLB rosters were expanded to 28 through May 1, and Wright’s impressive outings have all but ensured the 26-year-old right-hander will not be among the players headed back to the minor leagues when rosters have to be trimmed down.
Opening the season with 14 straight games, manager Brian Snitker moved to a six-man rotation. When the off days begin and the team moves back to a five-man crew, either Huascar Ynoa or Bryce Elder, who made his MLB debut against Washington and started last night’s loss to the Padres, could be sent down.
Wright started last Friday’s win over the Padres and will not pitch in the Braves' upcoming series with the Dodgers. Ynoa gets the ball in game one before Max Fried and Charlie Morton get their shot at the vaunted LA lineup.