Let’s take a deep breath, Atlanta Braves fans. It’s spring training, which means one thing: overreactions are in midseason form.
And right now, some people are panicking over Reynaldo López’s latest outing for the Braves. Let’s break this down before anyone starts declaring disaster.
López Is Coming Off a Career Year
First, López isn’t coming off some shaky, up-and-down year—he’s coming off a career-best season. In 2024, he earned his first All-Star selection and posted a ridiculous sub-2.00 ERA with a 2.92 FIP over 135 innings.
So when a guy with that kind of track record gets hit around in a spring training game, should we immediately sound the alarm? Not so fast.
Yesterday against the Twins, López gave up five runs and allowed seven baserunners in just 3.1 innings. That’s the kind of stat line that makes casual fans freak out.
But context matters, and there’s a key reason why Minnesota hitters had his number: they knew exactly what was coming.
Focusing on Fastball Command, Not Results
López spent nearly his entire outing honing his fastball command, throwing 49 fastballs out of his 56 total pitches. That’s an intentional strategy, not a sign of trouble.
Veteran pitchers always do this in spring training, prioritizing specific aspects of their game rather than trying to win meaningless March matchups.
You might remember Chris Sale doing something similar earlier this spring. When hitters know a fastball is coming, even the best pitchers can get knocked around—it’s just part of the process.
Velocity Concerns? Not So Fast Braves Fans
Some fans noticed López’s fastball velocity was down a couple of ticks, which always leads to some online grumbling. But before anyone gets too worried, López ramped up his velocity in his final inning, touching 95 mph.
Last season, he averaged 95.5 mph on his four-seamer, according to Baseball Savant. Unless that number is still down by the month’s end, there’s no need to hit the panic button.
Spring training isn’t about results—it’s about preparation. López still has three or four more starts before Opening Day, and if he’s still getting shelled by then, sure, let’s have a conversation.
But for now, let’s all take a step back and let the guy fine-tune his mechanics without the overreactions. He is preparing to reach a very big goal he set for himself, let him dial things in. Because if last season was any indication, Reynaldo López knows exactly what he’s doing.
