Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

The biggest surprise–not just of the Braves–but in the entire MLB has been Bryce Elder. The 24-year-old was optioned to AAA after just a few starts in Spring Training. However, injuries arose, and Elder got his opportunity at the big-league level again, picking up right where he left off as a rookie in 2022.

The former Texas Longhorn now leads all of Major League Baseball in ERA, and while there was initially a narrative that all of his success was coming against bad offenses, that has been put to rest over the last couple of months. In Elder’s past eight starts, he’s faced the Astros, Blue Jays, Dodgers, Orioles, and Mariners. Those are five of the best offenses in baseball, and he allowed just six earned runs in those outings.

On the latest episode of SportsTalkATL, we discuss what has made Bryce Elder’s 2023 campaign so special, and whether he can sustain his success the rest of the way.

Photo David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire

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