I know, I know...it is entirely predictable and completely on brand that I am writing up Mike Soroka’s player review. I apologize for nothing.
Coming into the 2020 season, there was a fair bit of uncertainty in the Braves’ rotation, but one thing that was certain was that the team was going to be leaning heavily on Soroka as he was the team’s best pitcher in 2019 after he posted a 4 fWAR season with a 2.68 ERA in 174.2 innings of work.
Unfortunately, our dreams of seeing Soroka dominate hitters again were dashed when, during a start against the Mets on 8/3, he torn his Achilles tendon which ended his season after just three starts. Lets take a look briefly at what went right and wrong in 2020 as well as looking forward to the 2021 season for Mike Soroka.
What went right? Not much, but that is largely due to sample size more than anything. When one loses the vast majority of their season due to injury, it is hard to point out the positives. He did throw six shutout innings against the Mets on 7/24, so there is that. Plus, there was the good news that according to the most recent reporting on it, Soroka is on track for being able to throw by the time Spring Training starts in 2021. Rehabs can have setbacks and this is a severe injury, but it was at least nice to know that things are going well so far.
What went wrong? See the above Achilles injury. Soroka was on his way to back to back sub par starts when he was injured, so that is worth mentioning, but the big news here is the injury that cost him his 2020 season. With that loss combined with the shoulder injury that kept him out for an extended time period during the 2018 season, Soroka hasn’t pitched a lot aside from the 2019 season where he was completely healthy. While the Achilles injury isn’t indicative of a long-term health issue, one thing to keep in mind with Mike is that even if he progresses quickly through rehab without problems, the team will have to be careful to stretch him back out properly as a starter which may not happen until after the regular season starts.
What to expect in 2021: Generally speaking, Achilles injuries don’t have a long-term impact on a pitcher’s performance and are fluky, but there is still a lengthy recovery period, so we may have to wait a bit longer than Opening Day to see him at full strength on the mound. Soroka is also arbitration eligible this season and most of the projections have him slated to get $1.9 million in arbitration. Expect Soroka and the Braves to agree to a number before the deadline, although what that number is is a bit debatable with the issues all teams are citing with projecting 2021 finances. Once he is back on the mound, Soroka should be a big part of the Braves’ plans going forward for a long time....assuming he can keep himself healthy.
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