After a rocky overall season, Wentz quietly delivered a 2.70 ERA in his first seven starts with Atlanta — the stretch that earned him a real role in 2026.
Watching every game last year, I think Wentz and Elder have very common traits - not similar 'stuff' but they are both highly dependent on being almost perfect at hitting their 'spots'. If Elder can spot his slider low-and-in to LH hitters or low-and-away to RH hitters and keep his sinker at or just below the bottom of the strike zone, he is quite effective. If Wentz can spot his slider in on the hands of RH'ers and low-and-away to LH'ers he can be effective. But for guys who don't have much velo and few other options, it's asking a lot to go 5+ innings and not miss a target by more than a few inches. I hope they both have great years but I don't see why we are not in for more consecutive 3 run innings and above 5.00 ERA's.
Ahhh, these are the kinds of articles that remind me I’m a full-on Braves sicko. I can’t help it — I want this to work so badly. If they really have found something in him, and he can turn his career around here? That would be special. There’d be something poetic about the team that drafted him picking him back up off waivers and helping set him on the right path.
Watching every game last year, I think Wentz and Elder have very common traits - not similar 'stuff' but they are both highly dependent on being almost perfect at hitting their 'spots'. If Elder can spot his slider low-and-in to LH hitters or low-and-away to RH hitters and keep his sinker at or just below the bottom of the strike zone, he is quite effective. If Wentz can spot his slider in on the hands of RH'ers and low-and-away to LH'ers he can be effective. But for guys who don't have much velo and few other options, it's asking a lot to go 5+ innings and not miss a target by more than a few inches. I hope they both have great years but I don't see why we are not in for more consecutive 3 run innings and above 5.00 ERA's.
I think that's a fair characterization of where they are stylistically as starters
Ahhh, these are the kinds of articles that remind me I’m a full-on Braves sicko. I can’t help it — I want this to work so badly. If they really have found something in him, and he can turn his career around here? That would be special. There’d be something poetic about the team that drafted him picking him back up off waivers and helping set him on the right path.
Same here - love a good redemption story.
I'm not entirely sold just yet, but there's a lot of reason to think that he can at least be a serviceable swingman/6th starter