The Atlanta Braves took on the New York Yankees in Northport for a spring training showdown, and Didier Fuentes made quite the statement on the mound, vying for a spot in the rotation.
The game kicked off with a bang for the Braves. Fuentes looked every bit the seasoned pro, breezing through a 1-2-3 inning and racking up two strikeouts, including one against former MVP Cody Bellinger. Mauricio Dubón kept the momentum going with a home run, signaling that his bat is heating up.
The Braves were relentless in the first inning, scoring four runs. Ozzie Albies hit a double, Austin Riley and Jonah Heim added singles, Mike Yastrzemski took one for the team with a hit-by-pitch, and Kyle Farmer contributed with a single.
Albies, who might bat second against lefties this season, has historically crushed left-handed pitching, boasting a wRC+ of 136 or higher in six seasons, with two seasons above 174. Last year, however, was a bit of a downer for him with a wRC+ of just 91.
Overall, the Braves racked up seven runs on fourteen hits.
Fuentes was electric, striking out five of his first eight batters and remaining perfect through three innings. His fastball consistently hit 97 MPH, peaking at 98.6 MPH, while his sweeper was downright nasty. Unfortunately, we only got to see him for 3.0 innings, as he was replaced by Dylan Dodd after just forty-two pitches.
Though there was some chatter about Fuentes possibly benefiting from a bit of luck with his pitch location, he still managed to get seven whiffs, showing promise.
The Braves' bullpen continued the dominance with Raisel Iglesias, Robert Suarez, and Aaron Bummer combining for 3.1 perfect innings. Bummer was replaced by Frey, who surrendered a single in the eighth with two outs.
Together, Fuentes and the relievers combined for 7.1 innings of perfection. Dylan Dodd had a slight hiccup, giving up a double and a single, but he also struck out two.
The standout story of the game was the impressive performance from Braves pitchers who could find themselves on the MLB roster this season. They collectively tallied thirteen strikeouts, allowed just two hits, and issued zero walks over 7.1 innings. Fuentes, with his stellar outing, is certainly in the conversation for a call-up.
Despite the scoreboard not fully reflecting the Braves' dominance due to Ian Mejia's rough ninth inning, where he allowed five earned runs without recording an out, the pitching staff's overall performance was noteworthy.
Kyle Farmer is a player to keep an eye on, potentially making the Opening Day roster to face left-handed pitchers. He went 3-3, boosting his spring average to .481 and his OPS to 1.130. José Azocar is also making his case, collecting two hits and raising his average to .393 with an OPS of .950.
Next up, the Braves will take on the Red Sox at North Port, with Bryce Elder slated to start. He'll have a tough act to follow after Fuentes' impressive display.