Didier Fuentes makes Atlanta Braves franchise history just by taking the mound on Friday night as the starting pitcher.
Whatever he does from there will be for another story.
But in this one, the whole key is that Fuentes starts. Why? Because he’s 20 years and 3 days old. He just turned 20 earlier this week.
And there hasn’t been a younger Braves pitcher to start a game in 55 years. Mike McQueen was younger when he took the mound on June 23, 1970, two months before he turned 20, according to MLB Network’s Sarah Langs.
Nobody younger than Fuentes has started for any MLB team since Dodgers lefty Julio Urias in 2016.
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Fuentes is a well-regarded righty from Colombia.
He just made his first career Triple-A start, throwing 4.2 innings and striking out six.
Fuentes is ranked the No. 10 Atlanta prospect by MLB Pipeline.
He’s being used to get some rest for the rest of the rotation, and to line their pitchers up for next weekend’s divisional series against the Mets.
Fuentes probably will only see the one start against the Marlins before being sent back down, for now.
But man, this has to be exciting for the youngster.
Fuentes runs his fastball into the upper-90s, and Braves manager Brian Snitker told MLB.com that “It sounds like he’s a kid who is above his years, as far as maturity and throwing strikes.”
And on this night, Fuentes makes some history just by stepping on the bump.
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