NEW YORK — If you need one extra storyline to be even more excited for Saturday’s Braves doubleheader against the Mets, here goes:
Allan Winans, a former Mets minor leaguer, will face the team that gave up on him two years ago.
The Braves are bringing up Winans from Triple A to start the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader against the Mets at Citi Field. Winans will be the club’s 27th man, which means Atlanta won’t need to option anyone to get him on the roster.
Winans leads the International League … with a 2.79 ERA, a 1.03 WHIP and a .212 opponents’ batting average. His 101 strikeouts are tied for fourth.
The right-hander, who made his debut last month in Milwaukee, hopes to one day stick in a major-league rotation. Saturday is a nice opportunity for him, and a deserved reward for his performance.
It also might come with some extra motivation.
New York drafted Winans in the 17th round in 2018. The right-hander was, by no means, a top prospect. He does not throw hard. He may never establish himself in the big leagues.
But he is having a terrific season. He certainly might have helped the Mets, who had vacancies in their rotation after trading Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander. He could have served as depth for New York.
If the Mets had stuck with him.
They did not.
In 2021, the Braves selected Winans in the minor-league phase of the Rule 5 draft. Here’s what that means: The Mets didn’t believe Winans, who finished the 2021 season at Double-A, was one of the best 78 players in their organization.
Put another way: They felt 78 of their players were better than him, and that 38 were more worthy of protecting.
“I think the Braves saw something in me that maybe the Mets didn’t or maybe other teams didn’t, and I’m just thankful for the opportunity that the Braves gave me,” Winans said in Milwaukee last month, ahead of his MLB debut.
Was it comforting to know the Braves – one of baseball’s more successful and well-run organizations – saw something in him?
“No doubt,” Winans said. “I think there’s a reason that the Braves are good every year. They’ve been good for a long time. I think they have a really good track record, and I think the proof’s in the pudding with that kind of stuff. I’m definitely happy with my progress over the last year and a half or so since I’ve been in the (organization). But yeah, I’m pretty pretty proud of being part of this org for sure.”
To protect eligible minor leagues from the minor-league portion of the Rule 5 draft, a club must place those players on its 38-man Triple A roster. The Mets opted not to place Winans on it, which left him exposed for teams to take in the Rule 5 draft.
Every front office thinks differently. At the time, the Mets were in somewhat of a transition period as they had hired Billy Eppler, their current general manager, that offseason. And again, Winans wasn’t a can’t-miss prospect. It’s not difficult to see why a team might have preferred other options.
But Winans might be proving the Mets wrong.
And Saturday, Winans can send that message. It’ll only be one start, but every opportunity is valuable.
During his last year in the Mets organization, Winans, a reliever at the time, actually pitched well. Between High-A and Double-A, he posted a 1.72 ERA over 47 innings.
When New York opted not to protect Winans, the Braves selected him. He’s started the majority of the time since joining the organization. Since then, he’s become a valuable depth option. Saturday will be only the second time the Braves use Winans, but teams can never have enough pitching.
Last season, Winans spent the majority of the time in Double A, where he had a 2.44 ERA over 44-1/3 innings. He finished the year in Triple A, where he allowed 10 earned runs over 15 innings.
Now, Winans finds himself in the middle of a breakout season. He’s made his MLB debut. Now, he’ll try to impress in another big-league opportunity, even if it may only be a spot start.
Dylan Lee tosses another scoreless inning
Dylan Lee on Friday hurled another scoreless inning for Triple-A Gwinnett. He issued one walk.
He threw nine pitches, and five were strikes.
Through three rehab outings with Gwinnett, the lefty reliever hasn’t allowed a hit or a run over three innings. He’s thrown 32 pitches during his rehab assignment.
If he continues to feel well, it seems like he should be able to return within the next few days.
Lee is working to return from left shoulder inflammation. He’s been on the injured list since May.
