The Braves are loaded with starting pitching prospects and many were expected to debut in 2018. One of the more anticipated of those prospects was Mike Soroka, one of the Braves’ first round picks from the 2018 draft. He did, in fact, make his debut but not everything went to plan.
After Soroka was drafted, he began to generate a lot of buzz with his sterling full season debut for Rome where he posted a 3.02 ERA and helped the Braves’ low-A affiliate win the South Atlantic League Championship in 2016. Despite his young age (he was drafted right out of high school), the Braves thought enough of the young righty to move him all the way up to Double-A the following season.
Soroka rose to the challenge and was even better in Double-A where he posted a 2.75 ERA and continued to limit free passes. He then started the 2018 season in Triple-A with many thinking that he would make it to the majors this season. After dominating for Gwinnett to start the season, Soroka did just that as he made his debut against the Mets on May 1st where he went six innings and gave up one run and struck out five.
Mike would go on to make five starts for the Braves in 2018 with varying degrees of success. However, after a weird start against the Marlins where some unearned runs doomed the Braves and Soroka’s velocity had dipped, the team placed him on the DL with shoulder inflammation. He returned to make two more starts before getting placed on the disabled list again with the same ailment and was put on the 60-Day disabled list not long after that.
Shoulder injuries are always scary for pitchers because if they are severe, they can haunt players for years and even ruin careers more than even elbow injuries can as the success rate for shoulder surgeries isn’t anywhere near the rate of Tommy John surgery. However, it appears that the Braves are just being cautious with their prized young pitcher. He did not undergo surgery, was throwing again down in instructs, and recently did an interview where he said shoulder felt much better and that he was basically good to go.
Bottom line, what did he do in 2018? 2.00 ERA in five starts in Triple-A with six walks and 31 strikeouts in 27 innings. 3.51 ERA, 2.85 FIP in five starts in MLB with seven walks and 21 strikeouts in 25.2 innings.
Will he be on the roster in 2019? Very likely. Soroka really impressed just about everyone in the minors and majors with his work ethic, command, and presence on the mound. Brian Snitker noted coming out of spring training that if he had his way, he would have broken camp with the team. This offseason will be a busy one and very few players can be described as completely safe from getting traded. There is also the sheer amount of competition for starting pitching spots on the roster to contend with. However, assuming he is healthy, Soroka seems like a strong bet to be with the team in 2018 and a major contributor.
What will he do next year? That definitely the big question as Soroka is coming off of a shoulder injury and “what will he look like when he returns” is always on one’s mind in such cases. Soroka features a sinker, fastball, curve/slider, and changeup and his velocity has been in the low to mid 90’s before his injury. Assuming he is truly healthy (and it does sound like he is good to go), he has the stuff to be a strong #2 starter who doesn’t walk batters and goes deep into games....something the Braves really need. He is still rookie eligible and assuming no other setbacks, he should be a strong candidate for Rookie of the Year in 2019.
Loading comments...