With two starts left for him before the All-Star Game, Braves pitcher Reynaldo López is having a stellar 2024 season.
Here are some numbers that show why López is a candidate to be an All-Star:
1.83
López leads the majors in ERA this season at 1.83, the only pitcher with an ERA under 2.00. The next two pitchers with the best ERAs are Seth Lugo and Ranger Suarez, with .217 and .227 ERAs respectively. López is even better at Truist Park where his ERA is 1.11, the lowest in the league. Plus, through his first 10 games, he has the second lowest ERA in Braves franchise history among starters who just joined the team. In Tuesday’s game, he pitched 4-1/3 innings while dealing out six strikeouts and only allowing two hits.
.216
In his 83-2/3 innings pitched this season, opponents are batting only .216 against him, making him tied 15th in MLB, but ninth in the National League.
3
Up until this point, López has allowed at most three earned runs when he starts. And in nine of his 15 starts, he’s allowed either one or no runs at all. Moreover, his combined 13 earned runs allowed are the fewest by any starter in Braves franchise history through 13 games.
.067
Opposing hitters are 4 for 60 (.067) against Lopez when their team is in scoring position, making him a strong pitcher in the clutch. His RISP is the lowest in the league and even has a 31.3% left on base rate with runners in scoring position. López has not given in to pressure when the opposing team is on base.
6
One thing that has helped López this season is getting plenty of rest between games. He has made eight starts with at least six days of rest between games, which is the most in the league among starting pitchers. He’s posted a 1.32 ERA in those games and undefeated at 4-0.
“I think the way that we structured the days off, I think it was really intelligent,” López said. “I think it’s allowed us to make these adjustments and it’s put us in a place where I am feeling really good as a starter at this moment right now. And so, with all those days off leading into this point, I’m feeling good,” López said.
BONUS NUMBER: 3.0
López’s wins above replacement is 3.0, expressing how his overall value is worth three wins when compared to a replacement-level player. His WAR ranks sixth in MLB, giving the impression that he is an extremely valuable and impactful player.
Lopez responded to how important it would be to receive an All-Star selection.
“You know, it’d be just a really, really nice experience to be selected to the All-Star team, but also it would be really, really beneficial to have, you know, a few days off at the same time, but if I had to choose between one or the other, I pick the first,” López said.
After Tuesday’s loss, the Braves (46-37) remain second in the NL East.
