Ray Kerr will open the season in Gwinnett, but intends to push his way to Atlanta sooner than later.
Possibly one of baseball’s most stocked bullpens belongs to the Atlanta Braves. The intention behind Ray’s December trade with Matt Carpenter and Drew Campbell was to give the Braves bullpen additional left-handed pitching options.
Recapping Kerr’s 2023 season
Ray Kerr appeared in 36 games for the Padres Triple-A affiliate, where he had a 2.25 ERA, and 10.50 K/9 along with a 4.25 BB/9. Kerr also appeared in 22 games for the Padres, where he pitched 27 innings and had a 4.33 ERA, 11.67 K/9, and 3.00 BB/9 rate.
His fastball, which is above average for a left-handed pitcher, allows him to finish, hitting 96 mph, which puts him in the 84th percentile of pitchers, according to Baseball Savant.
He mixes a solid slider that darts into right-handed hitters and an acceptable changeup that helps keep left-handed hitters off balance with that 60-grade fastball. As he begins the season in Gwinnett, it is important to keep an eye on his career-low 3 BB/9 rate that he displayed in the majors for San Diego the previous year.
What is in store for Kerr in 2024?
If Ray Kerr stays healthy, he will start the season in Triple-A Gwinnett after being optioned to the minor leagues earlier in Spring Training. Given the history of relievers in general and the fact that GM Anthopolous is known to be a bit of a fan of Kerr, his stay in Gwinnett isn’t anticipated to be too long.
Ray is far more effective against left-handed hitters than right-handed hitters, so when he gets promoted, expect him to be placed in circumstances where he faces a lot of lefties. Ray has a.506 OPS versus LHB and a.943 OPS against RHB using his career figures (only 32 total innings), which again indicates that he was purchased for his ability to perform against left-handed dominating lineups like the Phillies.
