Only one start, but it was much better than his first one this year. Minor got through 5 and 2/3rds innings this afternoon to help the Braves get another W in Pittsburgh, allowing 2 ERs, striking out 5, walking 2, while getting more ground ball outs than fly outs. This was a performance that is much more in line with Minor's minor league numbers, as he has always shown good command of the strike zone with an ability to miss bats. If he shows an affinity for ground balls like he did in this start, that will be even better for his future prospects.
After this start, I'm excited that Minor will have a chance to build on this performance and get another start next week. I think he is ready to pitch in the big leagues, but the Braves' pitching depth means his opportunities are limited for right now. However, when pitchers go down with injury like Hudson and Beachy, the Braves are one of the only teams in baseball that has an MLB ready pitcher (maybe even 2 or 3) to plug into the vacancy. It is great that they do, because the way the offense has regressed under Larry Parrish (see this short post from Capitol Avenue Club for some eye opening numbers from Braves' "hitters") means that the Braves pitchers will have to continue dealing in order to meet their goals for the season.
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