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Posted at 11:00 AM EST

1:00 PM EST. First game of a double-header features Robert Gsellman against a rookie southpaw named Sean Newcomb. Gsellman is a work in progress that is worth watching. A strong groundball profile is a good place to start but his WHIP of 1.54 reveals the risk in backing him. Gsellman still needs strand % luck working in his favor because there is too much traffic. His 19/44/ BB/K split in 57 innings is workable but that high WHIP and oppBA is not. Some minor tweaks and Gsellman’s stock will rise but for this one game, we’ll take our chances with Atlanta’s rookie.

Sean Newcomb was Atlanta's #6 prospect entering the 2017 season. Keep in mind that Atlanta's system is one of the deepest in baseball so his rating likely would be higher in many, if not most, MLB systems. So far in 2017, Newcomb has been toiling for Triple-A Gwinnett where he has a 2.97 ERA with 74 strikeouts in 57.2 innings. The elephant in the room, as it has been for most of his professional career, is his control. In those 57.2 innings, he has walked 33 batters and for his entire minor league career, he was walked 186 batters over 348 frames. That’s too many. This kid with electric stuff cannot throw the ball over the plate with consistency. Last year, Newcomb emerged as a bona fide Top-50 prospect as a member of the Angels organization. Part of the Andrelton Simmons trade last off-season, Newcomb found a new home with Atlanta. Pitching for Double-A Mississippi, the young left-hander has been dominant at times. When Newcomb's fastball is on, it is unhittable. Throw in a deadly 12-6 curveball and opposing hitters stand no chance. That is at least until Newcomb gives them a chance by losing the strike zone and that’s the risk here. If he’s throwing strikes, Newcomb and the Braves are a great bet because he’ll be able to dominate most lineups, even one’s at this level. If he can stay around the strike zone, Sean Newcomb has the stuff to be an All-Star and even though it’s a gamble, he’s worth it as a home dog. 

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