Page 251 - 2021 ATL Media Guide

2020 YEAR-END NOTES
• Across Major League Baseball, there were 4.65 runs scored per game, compared to a 4.83 average
last season....The Braves allowed 4.80 runs per game in 2020 after allowing just 4.59 runs last FRONT OFFICE
season...Just ten teams in the majors allowed more runs per game in 2020 than in 2019, and five
of them were in the NL East...The Marlins (+0.08), Braves (+0.21), Phillies (+0.28), Nationals
(+0.55) and Mets (+0.58) each allowed more runs on average this season as compared to last.
• Atlanta pitchers walked 220 batters this season, eighth most in baseball...Their 3.78 walks per
9.0 innings were 0.38 more than last season...The Braves rotation walked 4.04 batters per 9.0
innings, third most in the majors, while the Atlanta bullpen walked just 3.53, ninth fewest. MANAGER & STAFF
• The Braves staff induced 682 ground balls on the year, seventh most in the majors and fifth most
in the NL, while Atlanta’s 173 extra-base hits allowed were 13th fewest in baseball.
• Just three Braves pitchers - Ian Anderson, Tucker Davidson and Patrick Weigel - made their major
league debuts, and combined to appear in just eight games on the season (six by Anderson)...
Three pitchers debuted last season as well, after ten Atlanta pitchers debuted in 2018.
STARTERS: The Braves used 14 starting pitchers this year in 60 games, after using 11 starters PLAYER BIOS
over 162 games last season...Overall, the starters went 14-16 (.467) on the season, the 15th-best
record in the majors in 2020 (sixth best in the National League)...They tossed 251.2 innings, the
fewest in the National League and third fewest in baseball, while their 5.51 ERA (166 ER) was
also highest in the N.L. and third highest in the league.
• The Atlanta staff used 14 starters this season, most in the National League and second most in
the majors...Only the Red Sox, with 16 starters, used more...Since the Braves moved to Atlanta SEASON IN REVIEW
in 1966, just two staffs used more starters in a season, and both clubs did so in full 162-game
season...The 2016 Braves used 16 starters, while the 1975 club used 15.
• None of Atlanta’s projected starting rotation at the beginning of the year - Mike Soroka, Max
Fried, Kyle Wright, Sean Newcomb, Mike Foltynewicz - spent the entire season in the Braves
rotation, and just Fried and Wright ended the season starting for Atlanta.
• Soroka made three starts for Atlanta before missing the remainder of the season with a torn
Achilles...Fried missed 11 games with a muscle spasm in his lumbar spine...Wright and PLAYER DEVELOPMENT
Newcomb were both optioned to the Alternate Training Site during the year, and Foltynewicz
made one start before being designated for assignment and outrighted.
• The Braves did not have a starter throw a complete game, and had just one start of at least 7.0
innings all season...Ian Anderson tossed 7.0 scoreless innings on September 12 at Washington.
RELIEVERS: The Braves bullpen used 20 different pitchers in a relief role this season, six fewer BRAVES HISTORY
than last season...Atlanta relievers went 21-9 with a 3.50 ERA (106 ER/272.2 IP) and converted
13-of-19 save opportunities.
• Atlanta relievers fanned 282 batters this season, the third most in baseball...Only the Red Sox
(308) and Brewers (304) fanned more batters in relief.
• The Braves were one of just four teams to win 20 games in relief, and their .700 winning
percentage was fourth highest in baseball...Only the A’s (14-5, .737), Padres (19-8, .704) and OPPONENTS
Dodgers (26-11, .703) were better in relief.
• Atlanta’s nine losses in relief were ninth fewest in the league, and it was the only team to win
at least 20 games in relief and lose less than 10.

2021 ATLANTA BRAVES MEDIA GUIDE 251 MISCELLANEOUS