The Atlanta Braves will be getting Charlie Culberson back. But now the former position player is back, this time as a pitcher. Culberson, who recently signed up with MLB Network, talked about his decision to try his hand at major league pitching.
“Last year,” Culberson remarked. Following my re-signing with the Braves. Alex Anthopoulos essentially told me, “Hey, you’re gonna basically ride the bench,” when they initially phoned me. You won’t play since the Braves play every day. I decided to pull the trigger after spending two stints up and receiving one at-bat. The writing’s on the wall, as it were. I’m glad to be around my family again.
“But I always knew that I wanted to try pitching because it’s new and exciting, if that happened at any point.” Before, I’ve done it. It’s simply a fresh task that kind of pulls the excitement back into baseball for me, not that it was or will be easy.
How Culberson performs on the mound will be intriguing to watch. Not many players have made the transition from hitting to pitching, and some have even achieved success. Maybe in 2024, Culberson will make a significant contribution for the Braves by following in their footsteps.
What Braves can gain from Charlie Culberson on the mound
Afterwards, during the MLB Network broadcast, former All-Star pitcher Jake Peavy questioned Culberson about his talents on the mound.
“I know how hard it is, or was, to hit, as a hitter,” Culberson remarked. “Jake, you performed a terrific job for what, fifteen years? That’s kind of cool of you to say. It’s probably simply knowing that you can succeed. being self-assured, believing in oneself, and being competitive. In Triple-A, not the major leagues, I got the opportunity to do it three times during the final week of the season, and I enjoyed myself as well. On the mound, you project a distinct personality.
Yes, loneliness is possible. However, you are in charge and have the ball. And it was like, just go after the guys, here’s my finest thing. I don’t know, it’s just a nice sensation to have the ball on the mound.”
In his MLB career, Culberson has thrown in blowouts. Even though there is obviously less pressure under those circumstances, the right-hander was nevertheless successful.
He has thrown 7.1 innings overall and given up only one earned run in that time. Culberson is at least familiar with the experience of pitching on a major league mound.
