Journeyman Michael Tonkin had a career year for the Braves in 2023. The lanky right-hander did some serious work out of the Atlanta bullpen. Two words that come to mind when thinking of Tonkin Truck’s 2023 are dependable and durable.

In his age 33 season, Tonkin had a career season. He is 10-6 lifetime with an ERA of 4.37. This past season, Michael went 7-3 with a 4.28 ERA. He also a 1.088 WHIP, significantly better than his lifetime figure of 1.308.

Cheat-code finds diamond

Tonkin was one of those bullpen maneuvers that AA seems to find that others sleep on. The Braves seem to have a way of locating bullpen arms that are able to contribute – like diamonds in the rough. Tonkin contributed significantly throughout the season, making 10 appearances in September and nine in August.

In an early-season bullpen loss at Toronto, Tonkin worked 3.1 innings of one-hit, one-run ball. Again, a month later in a win against the Rox, Tonkin picked up his only save. He worked 3.1 innings allowing just one hit while striking out six. On July 5, he earned the win in an 8-1 pounding of Cleveland. Again, he allowed just one hit and struck out three.

Manager Brian Snitker called his name 45 times in 2023. The Palmdale, CA native worked 80 innings and struck out 75. Ultimately, though, Tonkin is out of options and signed a contract with the NL team in New York this off-season. Bad judgment not-withstanding, Braves country owes Tonkin a tip of the cap for a job well done. He did some serious work for the Braves.