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A.J. Minter
A.J. Minter has been a stalwart in the Atlanta Braves’ bullpen for years. The veteran is coming off yet another solid season, albeit one that was cut short due to hip surgery. But he should undergo a normal off-season and be back well before the start of Spring Training 2025.
Minter’s 2.62 ERA in 2024 is the best of his career, aside from the shortened 2020 season. He struck out batters at a 26.2% rate with a walk rate of only 8.2%. Despite those strong peripherals, Minter had a 4.45 FIP, the highest watermark he has posted since 2019. That’s because Minter posted an uncharacteristically high 1.57 HR/9 rate.
His previous single-season high was only 0.92. Despite that worryingly high home run rate, Minter was not hit hard. Opponents only managed a pedestrian 87.3 MPH exit velocity and 6.9% barrel rate against him. His 45.9% ground ball rate is the second-highest he’s put up in one season. Where things went awry was his HR/FB ratio, which was 16.7%.
Given that Minter’s career HR/9 rate is only 0.70, his career HR/FB ratio is only 8%, and he didn’t give up very much hard contact to start with, it’s reasonable to assume he can return closer to normal next year.
Minter is 31 and will be for most of 2025. He’s one of the better left-handed relievers on the market, but he’d be worth the price. Minter has experience in high leverage, as he saved 36 games in his career with 114 holds.