Jared Shuster is a guy that the Braves have a lot of high hopes for. As a first rounder, expectations will always be high. And in Shuster’s case, as a 24 year old rookie, Braves fans may not be as patient, especially after seeing a 23 year old Spencer Strider dominate the National League.
Shuster had a few chances early in the season and didn’t quite capitalize. As a matter of fact, in the first eight games of the season, the Braves only two losses came in games started by the young lefty. His line in those two starts was 8.2 innings, 12 hits, and eight runs, along with nine walks.
The control was clearly an issue. After being sent back down to Gwinnett, Shuster was brought back up last week in wake of the Kyle Wright and Max Fried injuries. Shuster had another chance against the Texas Rangers. Despite losing, he performed like he belonged in the majors, tossing five innings of three-run ball. Most importantly, Shuster only allowed two free passes.
On Sunday afternoon, against another good lineup in the Seattle Mariners, Shuster was tested again, and he passed with flying colors. Following a second inning Jared Kelenic bomb, he turned in his best performance to date.
Picking up his first career win, Shuster allowed just the one home run, with no other hits or runs coming off of him. With the Braves struggling for most of the game against George Kirby, this was a huge outing. Shuster helped the team secure their second straight series win, both in interleague matchups.
Shuster’s next start will likely come on Friday night against Philadelphia. If he can continue to improve, he will solidify his spot in the rotation for the time being, similar to what Bryce Elder has already done this season. With two big pitching pieces shelved, these young pitchers’ success is pivotal. For Brian Snitker and the Braves, they hope Sunday was victory number one of many for Jared Shuster.
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