Braves lefty hopeful Buchter has paid his dues
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Eight years in the minors without so much as a cup of big-league coffee hasn't done anything to dampen the enthusiasm of left-hander Ryan Buchter, a New Jersey guy with longish hair pulled behind his ears and a hopeful, unassuming attitude about this Braves spring training.
Fact is, the hard-throwing reliever had such a good season at Triple-A Gwinnett that he was added to the 40-man roster during the winter and is a candidate for a spot in the major league bullpen this year — perhaps as soon as opening day.
“To me it doesn’t feel any different,” he said of his eighth spring training and second in big-league camp. “I’m just trying to have fun, and that’s what it’s about. Joke around, have fun, and when you come to the game, then you lock in.”
At Gwinnett he totaled 103 strikeouts in 62 innings last season while compiling a 2.76 ERA in 51 appearances. He limited lefty hitters to a .124 average and .466 OPS in 2013, and right-handed hitters have a .200 average and .655 OPS against him over the past three seasons.
“He’s a different kind of lefty,” said outfielder Todd Cunningham, a Gwinnett teammate in 2013.
(Full version of this story is available at MyAJC.com)
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