ATLANTA BRAVES NOTES:
TODAY’S GAME: The Braves and Nationals continue the 2023 season this afternoon with the finale of a three-game series…The teams will play 13 total games this season, with the next series coming at Truist Park in Atlanta from June 9-11.
• The Braves went 14-5 against the Nationals last season, the second consecutive season in which Atlanta won 14 of the 19 matchups between the
clubs…The Braves are 30-10 against the Nationals since the start of 2021.
• Atlanta has won the season set with Washington in each of the last five seasons dating to 2018, combing to go 56-31 versus the Nationals in that span.
• Atlanta scored 116 times in its 19 games against Washington last season, a year after outscoring the Nationals 101-73 (+28) in 2021…Last year marked the 11th time the Braves scored triple digits against a single team in a season since the turn of the century…The 2004 team has the most in that span, scoring 128 runs against the Expos.
• LH Jared Shuster, Atlanta’s top overall prospect as rated by MLB.com, is set to make his major league debut this afternoon…Originally selected by Atlanta in the first round (25th overall) of the 2020 First-Year Player Draft, Shuster has pitched to a 9-10 record and a 3.69 ERA (87 ER/212.1 IP) in 45 total appearances in the minors, including 42 starts…In six appearances this spring, including four starts, he compiled a 1-0 record and a 1.74 ERA (4 ER/20.2 IP)…Shuster is set to be the second starting pitcher in baseball to debut this season.
• LH Mackenzie Gore is set to make his Nationals debut after the club acquired him from San Diego as part of the Juan Soto trade last August…Gore made his major league debut in a start against Atlanta last season, and allowed three hits and two runs over 5.1 innings in a no-decision for San Diego…He entered the 2022 season rated as the Padres’ top prospect, and as the top left-handed pitching prospect in baseball by MLB.com.
SUCCESS IN WASHINGTON: The Braves win at Nationals Park yesterday moved the club to 27-7 (.794) in Washington since the start of the 2019 season.
• Atlanta has outscored Washington, 209-125, here in that span, and outhomered the Nationals, 72-26.
• The Braves pitching staff has compiled a 3.39 ERA (114 ER/302.1 IP) here in that span, and is allowing the Nationals to bat just .231/.313/.353 with a .667 OPS against them.
• The Braves’ 27-7 record here since 2019 is the best mark in the National League by any team in a single road city…St. Louis has the next-best record, going 26-7 at PNC Park in Pittsburgh.
• From 2014-2018, Atlanta went just 16-33 (.327) here at Nationals Park, including going winless in 10 games here in 2015.
DEBUT VS. WASHINGTON: LH Jared Shuster is set to make his major league debut this afternoon, and will become the eighth Braves pitcher to debut with a start against the Nationals/Expos.
• RH Bryce Elder was the last to debut against the franchise, doing so on April 12 of last season and allowing three runs over 5.2 innings to earn the win.
• Atlanta has won each of the last five games in which its pitcher made his debut against Washington, with the starters combining to go 3-0 with a 2.54 ERA (8 ER/28.1 IP) in those outings.
• Manny Bañuelos (2015), Kenshin Kawakami (2009), James Parr (2008), José Capellán (2004), Horacio Ramirez (2003) and Kevin Coffman (1987) all
made their respective debuts with starts against Washington/Montreal.
2020 DRAFT: With his debut this afternoon, Jared Shuster becomes the third member of Atlanta’s 2020 draft class to appear in the majors…RH Spencer Strider appeared for Atlanta in October of 2021, while RH Bryce Elder debuted for the club last April.
• The 2020 draft was shortened to just five rounds due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and Atlanta’s first-(Shuster), fourth- (Strider), and fifth-round (Elder) picks have now all appeared for the club.
• Atlanta did not have a second-round selection in the 2020 draft, meaning that 75% of the Braves’ picks from that year have now appeared in the majors for the club.
• No other team in baseball has had even two of their picks from the 2020 draft play in the majors… Shuster becomes the 10th player in total from that draft class to debut, and 30% of those players are with Atlanta.
• Strider and Elder have combined to produce 4.6 bWAR in the majors…The other seven players to have already appeared have combined for just 3.1 bWAR.
VERSUS LEFTIES: Atlanta is set to face LH Mackenzie Gore this afternoon, after beating LH Patrick Corbin on Opening Day.
• The Braves went 37-17 (.685) against left-handed starters last season, the third-best record in the majors…Only Houston (42-12, .778) and St. Louis (24-11, .686) were better.
• Since 2018, the Braves are 113-79 (.589) against lefty starters, the second-best mark in the National League…Only Los Angeles (148-82, .643) has been better.
DAY GAMES: All three games of this series against Washington, and four of the six games on the road trip, are scheduled to be played in the daytime.
• The Braves went 24-27 (.471) in day games last season, the 12th worst such record in the majors… In night games, however, the Braves led the majors with a .694 (77-34) winning percentage.
Tonight’s Starting Pitcher – #45 Jared Shuster
Today’s Game
• Set to make his major league debut against Washington.
• Will be the third player from the Braves’ 2020 First-Year Player Draft to debut with the club.
• Joins Spencer Strider and Bryce Elder as the other hurlers from the ‘20 draft class to play for Atlanta.
• Will become the eighth Braves pitcher to debut with a start against the Nationals/Expos.
• Atlanta has won each of the last five games in which its pitcher made his debut against Washington, with the starters combining to go 3-0
with a 2.54 ERA (8 ER/28.1 IP) in those outings.
• Pitched to a 1.74 ERA in six appearances, four starts, with 19 strikeouts through 20.2 innings pitched in Spring Training.
• Began the Spring without allowing a run in his first four outings (12.2 IP).
2022 Recap
• Entered 2023 as Atlanta’s top overall prospect per MLB.com, and as the No. 3 farmhand by Baseball America.
• Split his second professional season between Double-A Mississippi and Triple-A Gwinnett, combining to go 7-10 with a 3.29 ERA (51 ER/139.1 IP) between the two stops…Allowed 108 hits and 38 walks while fanning 145.
• Opened the season with Mississippi and pitched to a 6-7 record and a 2.78 ERA (28 ER/90.2 IP) in 17 total games and 16 starts, compiling a 0.96 WHIP and 10.5 strikeouts per 9.0 innings.
• Advanced to Gwinnett on July 26 and made his final 10 appearances with the Stripers, including nine starts…Went 1-3 with a 4.25 ERA (23 ER/48.2 IP) and 39 strikeouts.
• Pitched in the Sirius XM All-Star Futures Game for the National League, and allowed two hits and one run over 1.1 innings…Fanned a pair.
• Was named a Southern League Post-Season All-Star for his season with Mississippi, and earned SL Pitcher of the Week honors on July 17.
• Pitched 7.0 scoreless innings in his only start that week, fanning a season high-tying 12 batters in a win over Rocket City.
• Garnered MiLB.com Organizational All-Star honors for the second consecutive season.
• Allowed no more than two runs in 21 of his 27 appearances on the season.
Career Recap
• Drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the first round (25th overall) of the 2020 MLB First-Year Player Draft.
• In three seasons with Wake Forest, went 6-8 with a 6.17 ERA (88 ER/128.1 IP) in 41 appearances, 22 starts.
• Logged 169 career strikeouts against just 62 walks in 128.1 innings.
• His 12.4 strikeouts per 9.0 innings during his sophomore campaign rank as third most in program history.
• He missed the entire 2019 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery that February.
WASHINGTON NATIONAL NOTES:
SUNDAY FUNDAY
The Washington Nationals look to avoid a three-game sweep on Sunday afternoon against the Atlanta Braves…The Nationals were swept twice by the Braves in 2022.
• Following this series, the Nationals will continue this opening homestand with a three-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays starting Monday night…It will be the Rays’ first three-game series in Washington since 2012…Tampa Bay played two-game series in the nation’s capital in 2021, 2020, 2018 and 2015.
ROSTER MOVE
The Nationals recalled outfielder Stone Garrett from Triple-A Rochester and placed outfielder Corey Dickerson on the 10-day Injured List with a left calf strain on Sunday.
• Garrett went 4-for-8 with two RBI, one stolen base and two runs scored in two games with Triple-A Rochester to start the 2023 season…He recorded three hits and two RBI on Opening Day, March 31 vs. Lehigh Valley (PHI).
• He hit .276 with eight doubles, four homers, 10 RBI, three walks, three stolen bases and 13 runs scored in 27 games with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2022…At the time of his promotion, Garrett ranked among all Minor Leaguers in RBI (T2nd, 96), home runs (T4th, 28), extra-base hits (T6th, 54) and total bases (10th, 221).
RAKIN’ RUIZ
Keibert Ruiz is 4-for-8 (.500) with a double, homer, one RBI and one run scored across the first two games… He clubbed his first home run of the season on Saturday, a solo shot in the ninth inning that landed in the third deck in right field.
• This marks the second consecutive year in which Ruiz has collected four hits in the first two games of the season…He went 2-for-4 in both of his first two games of 2022 as well.
ON-BASE MACHINE
Victor Robles has reached base safely in five of his first seven plate appearances (.714 OBP) across the first two games…He’s recorded two hits with three walks and one run scored with zero strikeouts.
NOTHING BUT A NUMBER
The Nationals are one of six teams with at least three players in the top 50 youngest players in Major League Baseball to start the season…The Arizona Diamondbacks (5), St. Louis Cardinals (5), Detroit Tigers (3), Pittsburgh Pirates (3) and Seattle Mariners (3) also have three players in the top 50.
• CJ Abrams (22) is the third-youngest player in Major League Baseball, while Luis Garcia (23) is 15th and Keibert Ruiz (24) is 50th.
OPENING DAY ROSTER
In addition to announcing their 26-man Opening Day roster, the Nationals made the following roster moves:
• Selected the contracts of left-handed pitcher Anthony Banda, infielder Michael Chavis, right-handed pitcher Hobie Harris and right-handed pitcher Chad Kuhl.
• Placed right-handed pitchers Víctor Arano (Right Shoulder Strain), Cade Cavalli (Tommy John Surgery), Tanner Rainey (Tommy John Surgery) and Stephen Strasburg (Thoracic Outlet Syndrome) on the 60-day Injured List
• Placed third baseman Carter Kieboom (Right Shoulder Impingement) and catcher Israel Pineda (Right Finger Fracture) on the 10-day Injured list (retroactive to 3/27)
TODAY’S STARTING PITCHER – #1 MACKENZIE GORE
Left-handed starter was acquired by Washington at the 2022 Trade Deadline…Entered 2020 as the No. 6 prospect in all of baseball and 2021 as the No. 10 prospect, according to Baseball America …Was cited by Baseball America as having the “Best Fastball” in San Diego’s system entering the 2022 season and the “Best Slider” in 2021 and 2018…Was the 2017 Gatorade Male High School Athlete of the Year, just the second baseball player to win the award at the time (Dylan Bundy in 2011; Bobby Witt Jr. in 2019).
vs. ATLANTA
Made his Major League debut against Atlanta on April 15, 2022 (5.1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, HR, 2 BB, 3 SO)…Struck out Ozzie Albiesto open the game for his first Major League strikeout…Also struck Albies out for his last out recorded in the top of the sixth inning.
2023 SPRING TRAINING
Gore went 1-1 with a 4.18 ERA in seven games (six starts) during Spring Training…He capped spring with 9.2 innings of three-hit, shutout ball with 12 strikeouts and three walks aross his last two outings… He tossed 3.2 innings in the exhibition game vs. New York (AL) on March 28 at Nationals Park.
2022
Made his Major League debut with San Diego on April 15 vs. Atlanta (5.1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, HR, 2 BB, 3 SO)… Earned his first win in his next start, April 20 vs. Cincinnati (5.0 IP, 4 H, 2 BB, 7 SO)…Struck out 10 batters, April 27 at Cincinnati and June 4 at Milwaukee…Was on the Injured List (left elbow inflammation) at the time of the trade.
2021
Went 1-3 with a 3.93 ERA in 12 starts between three levels of San Diego’s system.
2020
Spent the season at San Diego’s Alternate Training Site.
2019
Put together his best professional season…Led Minor League Baseball (min. 100.0 IP) in ERA (1.69) and WHIP (0.83) and was second in opponents’ batting average (.161)…Ranked third in San Diego’s system in strikeouts (135) despite making just 20 starts.
