Braves may have found another gem in Fuentes

By Miles Schachner, MLB.com

ATLANTA — Didier Fuentes’ first taste of the major leagues looked like a lesson in patience.

His second looks like the beginning of something special.

A year after getting roughed up in a brief stint with Atlanta, the 21-year-old right-hander has become one of baseball’s most effective young relievers, providing another glimpse of the Braves’ remarkable ability to develop homegrown talent.

Atlanta wasn’t necessarily planning for Fuentes to become a bullpen weapon this season.

Injuries to the starting rotation forced the organization to accelerate his arrival, but not in the role many expected. Rather than immediately joining the rotation, the Braves opted to use the hard-throwing Colombian in relief while continuing to build toward what they still believe will eventually be his future as a starting pitcher.

The move has paid off better than almost anyone could have imagined.

Fuentes, the youngest pitcher to appear in the major leagues this season, owns a 2.59 ERA with 36 strikeouts in 31 1/3 innings. His emergence has helped strengthen an Atlanta bullpen that entered the week leading the majors with a 2.77 ERA while ranking among baseball’s best relief units.

Along the way, manager Brian Snitker has entrusted Fuentes with virtually every important bullpen assignment.

He has entered with runners on base. He has handled setup duties. He has worked as a fireman in high-leverage situations. He has even closed games.

Every assignment has seemed a little bigger than the last.

Every challenge has been met.

The performance stands in sharp contrast to last summer, when Fuentes looked every bit like a pitcher who needed more seasoning. Called to the majors as a starter, he went 0-3 with a 13.85 ERA in four starts during June and July before returning to the minors.

Instead of allowing that difficult introduction to define him, Fuentes used it as a stepping stone.

His rapid improvement has drawn comparisons to some of Atlanta’s recent breakout stars. The Braves have built one of baseball’s strongest player-development systems by producing young contributors such as Spencer Strider, Michael Harris II and, more recently, National League Rookie of the Year Drake Baldwin.

Fuentes may be next.

Like Strider, he arrived in Atlanta with relatively little experience above Double-A. Before this season, Fuentes had thrown just 44 innings combined at Double-A and Triple-A, leaving plenty of questions about whether he was ready for the game’s biggest stage.

So far, those questions have been answered emphatically.

Much of Fuentes’ success begins with a blazing four-seam fastball that averages 96.9 mph and has reached 100.1 mph. While the pitch doesn’t feature elite vertical movement, its effectiveness comes from an unusual combination of velocity, a low arm angle and exceptional extension that makes the ball appear to explode on hitters.

Opponents are batting just .227 against the pitch.

His slider has proven equally valuable as an out pitch. Thrown roughly one-quarter of the time, it averages 86.4 mph and generates a whiff rate of more than 34 percent, giving hitters little opportunity to sit on his overpowering fastball.

Despite the early success, the Braves still believe Fuentes is very much a work in progress.

He continues to develop a splitter that could eventually become a reliable third pitch — an important step if he returns to the starting rotation in future seasons.For now, however, Atlanta isn’t worried about what Fuentes might become three years from now.

The Braves simply need outs.

The youngest pitcher in the major leagues has delivered them.If his first full season is any indication, Atlanta may have uncovered yet another homegrown star — only this time, he just happened to arrive through the bullpen instead of the rotation.