If 23-year-old Dansby Swanson’s hustle double followed by 23-year-old Rio Ruiz’s walk-off single had you excited about the future of the Braves organization last night, then you are in for a treat this afternoon.

Due to a rainout on May 4, the Braves are playing a doubleheader against the New York Mets today with game one being played at at 1:00 p.m. ET and game two set to begin at 6:00 p.m. ET.

In game one, 23-year-old left-hander Sean Newcomb will make his Major League Baseball debut against Robert Gsellman and the Mets.

Newcomb was acquired in late 2015 - alongside Erick Aybar and Chris Ellis - from the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in exchange for Andrelton Simmons. He made 27 starts for Double-A Mississippi, producing a 3.86 ERA and 3.19 FIP over 140 innings pitched. After being promoted to Triple-A Gwinnett, Newcomb made 11 starts and posted a 2.97 ERA, 3.22 FIP and 3.49 xFIP over 57 ²⁄₃ innings pitched.

An excellent in-depth scouting report on Newcomb can be found here, but I’ll provide you with the key points to focus on. The former first-round draft pick from the University of Hartford has an arsenal that includes a fastball that he places well and sits in the mid-90s, a curveball that usually hovers around the high-70s and a changeup that has the ability to be his most effective pitch and his Achilles’ heel.

When Newcomb is on top of his game, he shows the potential to be a future ace of the pitching staff. However, he has struggled with consistency and pitch placement as he’s had an ongoing walk issue during his time in the minor leagues. Through 11 starts with Gwinnett, Newcomb posted an 11.59 K/9 and a 5.15 BB/9. He’s had games this season where he’s been lights out (7 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 11 K on April 30) and games where he’s struggled to locate his pitches and it has cost him (4 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 6 BB, 6 K on May 23).

Regardless of whatever questions there may be about his walk issues, it’s time to see what Newcomb has to offer against a lineup at the major league level. Bartolo Colon and his sky-high 7.78 ERA didn’t exactly set a high bar, so I believe many fans will be excited just to see a new face replace his spot in the lineup.

His opponent, Gsellman, has a 5.53 ERA with a more reasonable 4.39 FIP and 4.24 xFIP over 13 appearances this season, 10 of which have been starts.

Matt Wisler will be on the bump for Atlanta in game two as he makes his first start of 2017. Through six appearances as a relief pitcher, Wisler has a 7.00 ERA, 4.85 FIP and 6.71 xFIP over nine innings pitched. He made 26 starts for the Braves in 2016, producing a 5.00 ERA with a 6.61 K/9 and 2.81 BB/9 over 156 ²⁄₃ innings.

Wisler will square off against left-handed pitcher Steven Matz. Matz will be making a debut of his own as today’s start will be his first of 2017 after beginning the season out on the disabled list due to elbow discomfort. Through three starts with Triple-A Las Vegas in 2017, he allowed 10 earned runs on 13 hits over 13 ¹⁄₃ innings pitched - with all 10 runs and 13 hits coming in the first and third games. Matz made 22 starts with the Mets in 2016, posting a 3.40 ERA.

Offensively for Atlanta, Swanson has seemed to have found his groove as he is slashing .283/.374/.475 with a 116 wRC+ over his last 30 games. His slash line on the season is now up to .215/.297/.341. Despite many calling for his demotion not long ago, Swanson is proving he belongs in the big leagues and appears to be growing before our eyes.

As for New York, the Mets are scheduled to activate Yoenis Cespedes from the disabled list for Saturday’s action. Cespedes, who hasn’t played since facing the Braves on April 27, has a slash line of .270/.373/.619 with six home runs and a 159 wRC+ over 18 games this season.

Game Info:

Game Date/Time: Saturday, June 10, 2017, 1:00 p.m. ET & 6:00 p.m. ET

Location: SunTrust Park, Atlanta, GA

TV: Game 1 - Fox Sports South, MLB Network (out-of-market only), Game 2 - Fox Sports South

Radio: Braves Radio Network, 680 AM/93.7 FM