NORTH PORT, Fla. -- Didier Fuentes might just spend a couple weeks in Atlanta’s bullpen before returning to Triple-A to further his development. But this plan didn’t lessen the excitement the 20-year-old phenom experienced on Saturday, when he learned he’ll be on the Braves’ Opening Day roster.
“They called me into the office and just started going over the plan and what they expected from me and how they wanted it to go,” Fuentes said through an interpreter. “Eventually, they got to, ‘Hey, you made the team.’”
The Braves’ plan is for Fuentes to work as a long reliever through the regular season’s first two weeks. The team is scheduled to play each of the season’s first 13 days. Once this trying stretch is complete, the hard-throwing young hurler -- ranked by MLB Pipeline as the club's No. 3 prospect -- will likely return to Triple-A Gwinnett to continue his development as a starting pitcher.
“He can protect us those 13 straight days, because our bullpen is going to feel the brunt of that challenging stretch,” Braves manager Walt Weiss said. “He can go four or five innings if we need him, but he’ll have to go get built up after that. But like I said the other day, he’s certainly made his point.”
Fuentes has retired 26 straight batters, 17 via strikeout, since hitting the first batter he faced this spring with a pitch. He hasn’t allowed a hit or issued a walk over nine scoreless innings.
Need more details about this dominance? Opponents have whiffed with 27 of the 57 swings taken against the Braves’ prospect. That means there has been no contact, not even a foul tip, on 47.4 percent of the swings taken against Fuentes.
One key offseason adjustment he made has resulted in a much more effective slider. He’s throwing the pitch nearly 3.0 mph harder than he did last season.
“It’s really special,” Fuentes said. “I just think about all of the sacrifices I made during the offseason. Now all the hard work is showing. I’m just grateful and excited.”
Why wouldn’t the Braves just plan to keep Fuentes in the Majors if there’s a chance he could extend this dominance? Well, it’s important to remember that he was rushed to the big leagues far too early last year and ended up posting a 13.85 ERA in four starts.
Even with those four starts and four more starts made for Triple-A Gwinnett after he was sent back down, Fuentes has totaled just 174 2/3 innings over 45 starts at the pro ranks. There’s still a need for him to refine secondary pitches and to better acquaint himself with the art of pitching. There’s also the fact that he was shut down late last season with right shoulder discomfort.
Fuentes was sent to the Spring Training complex in early August and he continued to rehab his shoulder ailment until returning to his family in Colombia just before Christmas.
“It was all worth it now, seeing how things are shaking out,” Fuentes said. “Now it’s time to shift the focus and give everything we have to the big league squad.”
Weiss is among those who have said they are impressed by how Fuentes didn’t allow last year’s rough experience at the big league level to negatively impact him heading into this year.
“It’s no secret that I didn’t adapt very well during my stint in the big leagues last year,” Fuentes said. “But I think the experience I gained is very helpful.”