Braves Spring Training 2012: Results Were Better, but Teheran Hit Hard Again

Julio Teheran could be quickly falling behind in not only the battle for the fifth starters spot with Mike Minor and Randall Delgado, but also the chance to break spring camp as Tim Hudson’s one-month replacement while he recovers from offseason back surgery.

It’s only one week into March, so why would anyone be concerned about game results at this point?

For established starters, there is no reason for concern. It is expected that those players are preparing for the upcoming 162 game season.

On the other hand, players like Teheran, Minor and Delgado that are competing for a spot on the 25-man roster, a quick start could give them an upper hand.

Entering spring training, Teheran is considered the top right-handed pitching prospect in baseball after posting some stellar numbers at Triple-A Gwinnett.

He was 15-3, with a 2.55 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP.

A key stat to remember moving forward is that he only allowed five home runs in 144.2 minor league innings last year. During his brief five-game appearance in Atlanta last season, Teheran allowed four home runs in 19.2 innings.

In his first outing this past Saturday, he gave up seven runs on six home runs in only two innings of work.

Trying to take some of the focus off the young kid’s spring debut, players and coaches alike continually cited tough conditions as a major factor all afternoon.

“It was a tough day for anyone to pitch,” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. “With the conditions we had today, I am not about to count anyone out. When the wind is blowing the way it was today, all you are asking for is trouble.”

Granted, conditions were probably unkind to a few routine fly balls, but inconsistent fastball command that caused him to fall behind in counts is something that Teheran will need to improve upon if he is to break camp with the big league club.

"I don't want to take anything away from the hitters," Braves catcher David Ross told MLB.com. "The hitters put some good swings on the balls. But they were in a lot of hitter's counts. I can't call a dirty, 3-2 slider in the first inning of Spring Training. You've got to learn to command your fastball and make your pitch. That's what these kids are trying to do."

The box score from this Friday’s start against the New York Yankees will look much better than his previous outing. Teheran threw three innings allowing three hits, one run, a walk and three strike outs.

He consistently sat 94-96 mph with his fastball and touched 97, breaking ball was 77 mph and his plus-changeup was at 83-84 mph.

Although this outing was much better overall, there were many hard hit balls by the Yankees.

With two outs in the first inning, including Robinson Cano’s rifle shot that was picked nicely by Freddie Freeman, Nick Swisher hit an opposite field double off the wall that scored Derek Jeter.

To start the second inning, Russell Martin laced a double down the third base line. Teheran was able to get out of the inning unscathed after two warning track fly ball outs were brought in by center fielder Michael Bourn.

The third inning was much smoother, getting Jeter on a weak grounder to shortstop Tyler Pastornicky and striking out Cano on a 96 mph fastball that painted the outside corner. Freeman then made another nice play on a hard hit grounder by Swisher to end Teheran’s day.

Let’s remember he just turned 21 years old this past January.

With that said, once a player is in the major leagues potential means very little, it’s all about performance.

So while Friday’s results will be highlighted in most columns that recap his outing, the hard hit balls by the Yankees’ batters have to remain a slight concern moving forward.

Where does the battle for the final rotation spot stand right now?

Minor had the upper hand coming into spring training after his solid finish in Atlanta last season. He has begun to cement that after two strong outings early, throwing five scoreless innings.

Delgado struggled in his first start giving up four earned runs on two walks and a home run in only one inning of work. He got the start opposite Teheran Friday in a split-squad matchup against the New York Mets.  

Much like Teheran, his second outing was also better than the first. Between tossing perfect first and third innings, Delgado allowed three runs on three hits in the second inning.

It appears Minor will definitely fill one of the two spots open in the rotation when the season starts.

It will then come down to Teheran and Delgado as to who turns around their early spring training struggles for a chance to make the Opening Day roster.

Jim Pratt is a Featured Columnist covering the Atlanta Braves for Bleacher Report, MLB contributor for MLBDepthCharts and BravesWire. Follow Jim on Twitter, @2OutSacBunt