Braves Report: Velocity, schmelocity

Another frustrating one last night, eh?

As we discussed yesterday, the Braves are far from out of it.

But it’s not looking like this roller coaster’s gonna end anytime soon. Especially offensively.

TONIGHT’S MATCHUP

Full disclosure: The forecast in Philly tonight is ... not ideal. But no word yet on a potential postponement.

📺 How to watch: First pitch at 6:45 p.m. on FanDuel Sports.

⚾ The pitching matchups: AJ Smith-Shawver (3-2, 3.67) vs. Zack Wheeler (6-1, 2.42)

📝 The scouting report: Back in April, the Braves tagged Wheeler for five runs over 5⅓ innings. The Smyrna native hasn’t surrendered a single run over his last three starts, however.

Meanwhile: You might recall that the Nationals roughed up Smith-Shawver in his last outing (shortly after I highlighted his excellent start to the season). He gave up seven runs in just three innings.

FIGURING IT OUT

Credit: Matt Slocum/AP

Credit: Matt Slocum/AP

Spencer Strider’s fastball sat around 95 mph Tuesday night, about 2 mph off his pre-elbow surgery norm.

He says he’s not worried.

“I can’t concern myself with velo too much right now,” he said. “I mean, it’s gonna come. Ultimately, whether I’m throwing hard or not, I’ve got to execute pitches and get ahead and stick to our game plan.”

Overall, Strider’s performance in the 2-0 loss to the Phillies was a step forward. He only allowed one hit and one run through 4 ⅔ innings; four walks and his overall pitch count (90) slowed him down.

Because Strider’s always insightful, here are a few more things he said about his third outing of the season:

1️⃣ “I think my movement is really good on my pitches. All the stuff is pretty consistent. It’s starting to feel really consistent coming out of my hand. The velo on the fastball is obviously not my career high, but the swings are telling me that guys aren’t picking it up and it’s got that life. Especially tonight compared to the last couple times throwing, it’s getting on guys and I’m able to beat some barrels.”

2️⃣ “The misses were competitive. Sometimes, making that adjustment from one pitch to another is tough, and you gotta throw three before you execute instead of one. That’s frustrating, but it still feels like the next one — it’s on the tip of your tongue. That’s a good feeling. That’s the feeling you want to have.”

3️⃣ “I need to have confidence in my stuff, and I do think that’s independent of velocity. I used to throw slower and I didn’t have any fears about competing in the strike zone, overpowering guys, and I think that conviction, it’s something you have to take ownership over and it’s independent of anything else.”

Not sure about you, but all that makes me a little less anxious about things moving forward.

ACUÑA VS. AARON

Is Ronald Acuña Jr. the most talented Brave … ever?

MLB Network host Mark DeRosa caused a bit of a stir when he made such a claim on Tuesday.

📱 Chipper Jones jumped in on X to defend him: “People in the comments are confused between ‘most talented’ and ‘best player.’ There is no disputing who the best player is. But Acuna has stuff in his tool belt that NO ONE has possessed.”

This is the correct interpretation.

The best player (and person) is, of course, the immortal Henry Aaron. But it’s hard to argue that the guy who hit 41 homers and stole 73 bases in a single season doesn’t possess singular talents.

What say you, dear reader? Shoot me an email to argue.

DOWN ON THE FARM

Let’s take a quick jaunt through the Braves’ minor league system, shall we?

The Double-A Columbus Clingstones are struggling at the plate — but the pitching is strong (sound familiar?). Of particular note:

Righty Brett Sears, a 2024 seventh-round pick from Nebraska, threw six scoreless innings in his Clingstones debut.
Righty JR Ritchie continues to impress as well, scattering four runs over two recent starts. The folks at MLB.com dubbed him the organization’s hottest pitching prospect.

Down in the Florida Complex League, Jose Perdomo — an 18-year-old shortstop and top 2024 international signing — is hitting .262 with 10 RBIs over 17 games.