Fredi Gonzalez announced the starting rotation of the Atlanta braves Spring Training games and here it is.
Tim Hudson, Paul Maholm, Julio Teheran, Kris Medlen and Mike Minor. Let's break it down and give the honors to the baby of the rotation first.
Teheran
Yes, the youngster Teheran will get a crack at making the starting rotation after the Braves traded away their other arms in the previous year. The Colombian right-hander is only 22 years old and has made four starts in his career posting a 1-1 record in seven career pitching appearances.
The Braves had a younger core of arms, but Arodya Vizcaino and Randall Delgado were moved around in trades. The Braves received lefty Maholm in one move during last year's deadline and in January they traded Delgado in a package for Justin Upton.
Hudson
Hudson will likely pitch his last season in Atlanta as his extension was acknowledged. This could be a pretty great year for the veteran right-hander. He comes into the season healthy and has been a machine in the past two seasons despite getting late starts due to injuries. He is 49-26 in his last three seasons and could help anchor the Braves rotation though his days as an ace are gone.
Maholm
This game came over from the Chicago Cubs and instantly made a difference in the Braves starting rotation. He accompanied Mike Minor as the other lefty in the rotation and the Braves finally had some balance in their pitching rotation.
The record might not be outstanding going 4-5 in 11 starts, but he really impressed in his first start in New York against the Mets throwing a complete game of three-hit baseball. This will be his first chance to play for a winning team so expect the career record to creep closer to .500.
Maholm is 66-84 in 216 career starts.
Medlen
Don't mean to put pressure on the kid, but all eyes are on him in 2013. The Braves rotation will be above average depending on how Medlen performs. If he under-performs then the Braves will have to rely more on their offense.
He couldn't take the Braves further into the playoffs, but Medlen pitched a very memorable 2012 as the Braves went on to set a record of 21 consecutive wins when he was on the mound.
Medlen went 10-1 with a 1.57 ERA and 138 innings pitched. He returned a year removed from Tommy John Surgery and he was more dominant than ever. Braves Nation hopes this is the case in 2013.
Minor
Closing out the back end of the rotation is the young left-hander. His numbers aren't outstanding, but the Braves really want this guy to break through. He's a strikeout pitcher with a K/9 Ration of 7.3.
Minor is only 25 years old and the Braves see a lot of room to grow. They obviously like the kid if they haven't traded him in the past year.
In 2012, Minor posted a 11-10 record with a 4.12 ERA.
