The Best Brave to Wear #71

RHP Jacob Webb. (Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire)

See also: Best Brave By Uniform Number Index

The best Brave to ever wear #71 is a current Brave, right-handed reliever Jacob Webb.

While Webb’s tenure with Atlanta has been brief, appearing in 44 games and 42.1 innings as of this writing, he easily beats out the only other Brave to wear #71, right-hander Josh Ravin, who only appeared in two games in 2018.

In many ways, Webb has already beaten the odds of his early circumstances. Not drafted out of Riverside Polytechnic High School in Riverside, California in 2011, Webb enrolled in the local community college, then transferred to tiny Tabor College in Hillsboro, Kansas. Webb played third base and pitched in high school and wanted to continue to play a position, but over time came the realization that if he wanted a future playing baseball, it would be on the pitcher’s mound.

Webb overmatched his competition at Tabor, pitching to a 1.47 ERA his sophomore year as a swingman. Installed as a starter his junior year, Webb went 11-4 with a 1.88 ERA, completing 10 of his 15 starts and setting a single-season school record with 129 strikeouts while leading the Tabor to their first ever NAIA World Series appearance.

Drafted By Braves

Webb got the attention of Atlanta, who made Webb their 18th-round selection of what otherwise would be a horrendous 2014 draft (only two other players in that draft, pitchers Chad Sobotka and Max Povse, have made it to the major leagues). Webb showcased a live arm in his first taste of pro ball, pitching to a 2.14 ERA in 11 appearances (6 starts) with the rookie league Gulf Coast Braves.

That spring while ramping up for his first full season with class-A Rome, Webb tore his UCL and ended up missing the 2015 season after getting Tommy John surgery. Upon his return, he notified the Braves that he would prefer to work exclusively out of the bullpen and began an ultimately successful ride up the organizational ladder to Atlanta.

Major League Debut

As a reliever, Webb concentrated on throwing gas and working on his control. Webb’s 1-2 punch of upper-90s fastball and sharp-breaking curveball were major league caliber, with only command issues a potential roadblock. To that end, Webb went to the Dominican Winter League in the 2018 off-season, pitching 10 innings with Estrellas de Oriente. The extra work seemed to pay off. Added to the 40-man roster to avoid the Braves losing Webb in the Rule 5 draft, a major implosion of the major league bullpen early in 2019 lead to a quick promotion for Webb, and his made his major league debut on April 16. Along with a resurgent Luke Jackson and new additions Jerry Blevins and Anthony Swarzak, Webb stopped the bleeding for the Atlanta bullpen long enough for the front office to address the issue.

Unfortunately for Webb, he would not be around to pitch in the postseason. An elbow impingement would slow him down in June and knock him out in August. Webb would not return to the Braves until 2020, returning on September 8 and throwing 10 innings without allowing a run. Webb would get his first postseason experience, throwing a scoreless inning against Miami in the NLDS, and pitching 2 innings over 2 appearances against Los Angeles in the NLCS.

Who Is the Best Ever To Wear #71?

The best #71 to date is Milwaukee Brewers fireballing lefty Josh Hader, who has worn the number in all four of his major league seasons. Hader has arguably been the best major league relief pitcher during that time, posting a 2.54 ERA in 224 innings and striking out 380 batters, 18 more than Edwin Diaz, the next highest reliever pitching during that time frame.

Honorable mention goes to Cleveland Indians second baseman Johnny Hodapp, who wore #71 in the first season that Cleveland adopted uniform numbers in 1929 before switching to #6 the following year. Despite injuries shortening his ’29 season to only 90 games, Hodapp batted .327/.361/.456 on the season, pretty much in-line with his career .311/.350/.425 batting line.

 

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