In a surprise move, the Braves have pushed back Kevin Gausman‘s planned start tonight against the Pittsburgh Pirates and have selected the contract of right-hander Bryse Wilson to make his major league debut
The Player
Bryse Wilson, RHP
Age: 20
OFR Prospect Rank: 8
2018 Level: AAA Gwinnett
The Results
2018: 3.27 ERA | 2.98 FIP | 23 G, 23 GS | 123.2 IP | 10.12 K/9 | 3.98 BB/9
Minor League Career: 2.66 ERA | 3.00 FIP | 58 G, 55 GS | 287.1 IP | 9.62 K/9 | 2.51 BB/9
The History
Wilson was the Braves’ 4th-round draft pick in 2016 out of Orange High School in Hillsborough, NC and was lured from a strong commitment to the Tar Heels with a $1.2 million signing bonus, well above slot. Wilson was a football player as well and has the body to prove it, listed at 6’-1”, 215 pounds at the time of his signing. In his senior year of high school Wilson threw three no-hitters, including a perfect game. Assigned to the Gulf Coast League, Wilson’s innings were kept low, but he was impressive in 26 innings, pitching to a 0.68 ERA.
Wilson spent the whole 2017 season in Rome, as the organization tends to do with their high-school draftees. Wilson was arguably Rome’s best starter over that year and actually got stronger as the season progressed, pitching to a 2.31 ERA and holding South Atlantic League hitters to a .213/.275/.312 batting line over the last two months. Wilson also threw the only 9-inning complete game in the entire organization in 2017, shutting out West Virginia on a 5-hitter. Wilson was named by the Braves as the Rome Pitcher of the Year.
None of that prepared prospect watchers for what Wilson would do in 2018 however. Wilson was assigned to advanced-A Florida to start the season, but 5 starts and a ridiculous 0.34 ERA later and it was clear that Wilson was not being challenged by the Florida State League. Promoted to AA Mississippi in early May, Wilson found his challenge for about 6 starts. Wilson made his adjustments and in 9 starts from June 10 through the end of July he pitched to a 2.15 ERA with a 5-to-1 strikeout to walk ratio. That got Wilson moved up to Gwinnett to start the month of August. Once again Wilson’s results weren’t evident from the get-go, but in his last start with Gwinnett he threw what will likely be the best start in the Braves minor leagues this season, throwing 8 innings of 1-hit, 0-walk ball against a hard-hitting Louisville squad while setting a new Gwinnett single-game strikeout record with 13 punch-outs.
The Report
Wilson’s game is defined by the advanced command of all of his pitches. While his pure stuff is behind 2016 draft-mate Ian Anderson, Wilson’s low-to-mid-90s fastball has natural sink and good movement and location. It will regularly find the strikezone enough that hitters have to try to put it in play, but rarely will square it up. Wilson’s breaking pitch is a slider with decent late break, but Wilson’s primary strike-out pitch his a plus change-up with which he’s able to mimic the arm action and location of his fastball.
Wilson also get’s strong marks on his competitiveness and overall makeup. Wilson is a driven young man who has consistently exceeded whatever limitations others have tried to impose on him.
What’s Next
If you had Bryse Wilson as the member of the Braves 2016 draft class to first make it to the majors, you’re a liar. With his promotion, Wilson follows the path blazed last season by Luiz Gohara from high-A ball to the majors in a single season, and he’s earned every promotion. Wilson will be the youngest pitcher in the major leagues and the fourth 20-year-old to make his major league debut this season for Atlanta after Ronald Acuña, Mike Soroka, and Kolby Allard.
This will likely be a spot start with Gausman picking up where he left off tomorrow as the Braves continue to navigate a brutal 22-games-in-20-days stretch of the schedule, but it puts Wilson on the 40-man roster and firmly in the team’s plans for 2019.
As a side note, the team outrighted RHP Chad Bell and designated third baseman Ryan Flaherty for assignment. There was already a spot open on the 40-man roster, so now there are two spots left open even with Wilson’s addition.
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