Pirates A to Z: Bryse Wilson setteld into starting rotation after being traded by Braves

During the offseason, the Tribune-Review will offer Pirates A to Z: An alphabetical player-by-player look at the 40-man roster, from outfielder Anthony Alford to pitcher Miguel Yajure.

Player: Bryse Wilson

Position: Pitcher

Throws: Right

Bats: Right

Age: 23

Height: 6-foot-2

Weight: 225 pounds

2021 MLB statistics: Wilson was 3-7 with a 5.35 ERA and 1.45 WHIP in 74 innings over 16 starts with the Atlanta Braves and Pirates.

Contract: Not eligible for arbitration until 2024.

Acquired: In a trade from the Atlanta Braves, along with Ricky DeVito, in exchange for Richard Rodriguez in July.

This past season: After outdueling Clayton Kershaw in Game 4 of the 2020 NLCS, striking out five in six innings in a 10-2 win for a 3-1 series lead, Wilson had to fight for a spot in the Braves’ starting rotation.

Wilson went 2-0 with a 1.98 ERA in four spring training starts to beat out Kyle Wright for the final spot alongside Charlie Morton, Ian Anderson, Drew Smyly and Max Fried.

Bryse Wilson, 77mph Curveball and 94mph Fastball, Individual Pitches + Overlay. pic.twitter.com/mah34VmUOO

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) March 4, 2021

The Braves, however, optioned Wilson to their alternate training site and skipped his spot in the rotation in early April. He made his first start on April 18 at the Chicago Cubs, allowing two earned runs on seven hits — including two home runs — in five innings of a 13-4 win.

It was the first of five games in which Wilson would allow two or more homers, as he surrendered 15 on the season. In eight starts for the Braves, Wilson was 2-3 with a 5.88 ERA, 23 strikeouts and 12 walks in 33 2/3 innings. In eight starts with the Pirates, he was 1-4 with a 4.91 ERA and 1.24 WHIP, 23 strikeouts and 10 walks in 40 1/3 innings.

A day after tossing three scoreless innings in a 1-0 loss to the NL East rival New York Mets, the Braves traded Wilson and DeVito for Rodriguez in an effort to bolster the back end of their bullpen. That sent Wilson to the organization that he made his major league debut against in August 2018, at the age of 20.

Pirates general manager Ben Cherington cited Wilson’s success in 22 starts over four seasons with the Braves and his postseason experience as attributes that made him an attractive trade return.

“We feel like he can come in and be part of a group of young starting pitchers we’re growing and developing and come in and be a strong part of that,” Cherington said, “so look forward to getting to know him.”

Pirates manager Derek Shelton had watched video of Wilson, so he had some background on the right-hander who relied primarily on his four-seam fastball, sinker, changeup and curveball but also has a slider in his five-pitch mix.

“I think the big thing for me is being unpredictable,” Wilson said. “That’s what makes the best pitchers great. The hitter has no idea what’s coming. If I can establish that curveball as a pitch that I can go to in any count, that would be huge, to go along with the four-seam, two-seam and the changeup.”

Wilson didn’t have much luck on the mound for the Pirates, as he lost four of his first seven starts and took no-decisions in the other three. He gave up two homers against Milwaukee and the Chicago White Sox and three against the Washington Nationals on Sept. 12.

Wilson went on the injured list in mid-August with right arm fatigue, and spent some of that time making “minor mechanical changes” and working on his pitch command and sequencing.

“I feel like the biggest change was just having a firm landing leg,” Wilson said. “Just striding out, landing and having that stick and be firm so I can be more over the top of the ball instead of coming around.”

Wilson pitched past the sixth inning only once all season but took a big step against the Detroit Tigers on Sept. 6, when Shelton allowed him to go through the order a third time. Wilson allowed three runs on six hits and two walks while striking out four in six innings in a 6-3 win.

“It means a ton. It means to me that he had that trust in me,” Wilson said. “I felt like I was cruising there through five. Going back through the lineup a third time through, I was very confident. I knew how I wanted to attack the hitters. Missed a couple spots. But overall I think the attack plan was good. I think the stamina that I had going through was good. I felt strong in the sixth inning. But it means a lot that he has that trust in me and allowed me to get that opportunity.”

Wilson finally earned his first victory as a Pirate on Sept. 18 in a 6-3 win at Miami, when he allowed two runs on four hits in five innings. But he strained his left hamstring during an at-bat in the fifth inning and was placed on the 10-day injured list Sept. 19. A day later, he was transferred to the 60-day IL in a season-ending move.

“I thought his stuff was really good,” Shelton said. “I think the sinker’s probably the best we’ve seen it. He was really crisp.”

The future: Wilson’s stuff didn’t wow anyone during the season, as he ranked in the bottom 10th percentile in a half-dozen categories ranging from strikeout percentage (14.3%) to xwOBA (.358).

What Wilson has going for him is his youth — he turns 24 on Dec. 20 — and a low walk percentage and high chase rate. That he lost a couple ticks on his four-seamer is a problem, as it’s his bread-and-butter pitch, so sharpening his secondary pitches should be an offseason priority.

Wilson will compete for a spot in the rotation alongside returning starters JT Brubaker, Wil Crowe, Mitch Keller, Dillon Peters, newcomers Jose Quintana and Zach Thompson and prospects Roansy Contreras, Max Kranick and Miguel Yajure.

Getting carryover from his starts would be helpful for Wilson.

“I’m a huge believer in it,” Wilson said. “It’s momentum. It’s confidence. With every good start, your confidence continues to build in all of your pitches and your stuff. Especially as a younger guy, that helps a ton to have the confidence that you belong here. That’s the big thing for me — the confidence and gaining that momentum to continue to go forward.”