Teheran accomplishes dream of becoming NL All-Star

Julio Teheran was 8 years old, watching TV in Cartagena, Colombia, when Pedro Martinez struck out the first four batters he faced to start the 1999 All-Star game in Boston and won the Most Valuable Player award.

So 15 years later, to be sharing a clubhouse with the best of the National League as a first-time All-Star was a lot to take in for the young Braves pitcher.

He is the first Colombia-born pitcher to make an All-Star team. Former Braves shortstop Edgar Renteria was the first Colombian position player.

“Being here is something that I’ve been dreaming since I was a little kid,” Teheran said Monday. “I couldn’t believe that I’m here. I can’t believe that I made it.”

In just his second full season in the majors, Teheran, 23, is an All-Star. He made the roster as a substitute for Jeff Samardzija after he was traded from the Cubs to Oakland and deemed inactive as an American League pitcher.

Such an honor for Teheran has been a long time coming if you ask his teammates like Craig Kimbrel, who has been watching Teheran pitch since shortly after he signed with the Braves at age 17. Teheran was only 18 when he pitched in his first professional game in rookie ball with the Single-A Danville Braves in 2008.

He showed up throwing harder than Kimbrel during his six games that year in Danville.

“He was a starter throwing 98, 99 (mph),” said Kimbrel, the four-time All-Star closer who said he was throwing closer to 95-96 mph back then. “It was like how is this kid throwing harder than me right now? But he was very, very talented and he’s just gotten better and better as the years have gone on.”

Teheran’s four-seam fastball sits closer to 91-92 mph now, but he can still reach back for 93 or 94. And Kimbrel said he has a better idea of how to use his repertoire now.

“He was throwing 98, 99 mph (then) but wasn’t a pitcher,” Kimbrel said. “He’s more of a pitcher now. He understands how to attack hitters and go out there and pitch even when he doesn’t have his best stuff. And that’s something that you can definitely see that he’s done over his time. And I think he’s just going to get better and better.”

Under the tutelage of Braves pitching coach Roger McDowell, Teheran added a two-seam fastball to his arsenal last season which has given him two fastballs to go with a curveball and slider to keep hitters off balance. Hitters like veteran Phillies second baseman Chase Utley.

“He’s got a little bit more finesse in his game,” said Utley, the NL’s starting second baseman. “He has a better idea how he wants to go after hitters. It’s not always throwing as hard as he can. Sometimes it’s throwing a little bit softer.”

Teheran threw one of his two shutouts this season against Utley and the Phillies, outdueling Cliff Lee to a 1-0 win on April 15. It was one of his two wins this season at the hitter-friendly Citizens Bank Park and helped him make his case as ace of the Braves staff.

That’s the way two-time All-Star Freddie Freeman sees it.

“He’s the ace of the staff,” said Freeman. “He really is. He goes out there every five days, he’s the most consistent. He wants to pitch nine innings every single time out. … He’s a star. He’s the ace of the staff and it’s just so awesome to see.”

Freeman said he thinks Teheran started to assume that role last season when Tim Hudson broke his ankle and was lost for the season July 24. Teheran pitched seven shutout innings against St. Louis in his next start on July 27 and went 8-3 with a 3.11 ERA the rest of the way.

This season, he’s tied with Aaron Harang for the Braves’ lead in wins (nine) and is among the NL’s top 10 in ERA (sixth, 2.71), innings pitched (third, 136 1/3), strikeouts (ninth, 116), WHIP (fifth, 1.04) and WAR (sixth, 3.2).

And now it’s Hudson, who just made his fourth All-star team, this time with San Francisco, beaming from the other side of the interview room over Teheran’s accomplishments.

“I tell you what man, he’s been fun to watch this year,” Hudson said. “I keep up with all the guys and he’s a guy that for a long time, there were arguments he probably could have started this (All-Star) game. He was having that good of a first half. I’m thrilled for him. He’s a good kid, works really hard. I’m really, really excited for him.”

Teheran said he learned a lot about how to throw his sinker from watching Hudson last year, both in his bullpen sessions and during games. Now Hudson is the one admiring Teheran’s sinker.

“Usually when you’re a sinkerballer, it’s a natural sinker, like me,” Hudson said. “That’s all I can throw is a sinker. So for somebody to not be a natural sinkerballer to try to start throwing it and then it actually being a really good quality pitch for him, it just says a lot about him and what Roger’s been able to do on the side.”

Hudson signed a two-year, $23 million free agent contract with the Giants after it was clear the Braves weren’t going to be anywhere close to making such an offer. A couple of months later, the Braves signed Teheran to his first multi-year extension at six years and $32.4 million.