NL DIVISION SERIES: PHILLIES VS BRAVES

October 13, 2022

A.J. Minter

Citizen's Bank Park

Atlanta Braves

Workout Day Press Conference

Q. What you've seen from Charlie, how impressive is it to see how he's evolved from early in his career?

A.J. MINTER: Especially for me, I mean, a guy who has come into the league here pretty recently. I've known Charlie just for his postseason performances. He's been a guy who's always dominated in the postseason. And that's the guy that you want on your team.

He's just been an awesome guy in the locker room. He just keeps everything loose, funny. He's everything you would want in a starting pitcher.

He's been an ace. We have such a talented rotation this year. And he's a guy we feel confident on the mound, especially, like you said, here, recently, he's just been outstanding for us.

Q. You spent time with Charlie in the clubhouse, like you mentioned. What are the qualities that make him a pretty good big-game postseason pitcher?

A.J. MINTER: He's just even keeled. He's the same person every day. Never lets the situation get too big. He comes in, has a smile on his face. Says hi to everyone when he walks in.

But when he's on the mound you can tell a switch flips. Super focused, confident. But it's just -- he never gets the situation too big. And you want a pitcher out there that doesn't show emotion and just always locked in and even keeled.

Q. And Philly's going to be hosting their first postseason game in a long time. Is the visiting team, are there advantages to kind of keeping the crowd out of it a little bit?

A.J. MINTER: For sure. It's going to be a rowdy, hostile environment there in Philly. We're fully aware of the stadium there and we've played there so many different times. So we feel confident going in there.

And props to Philly for taking a season just kind of like ours last year, a .500 team and turn it on at the end when they needed to. They're a very good team. Very talented team. I know they're excited to play in the postseason and get some revenge after us. And it's going to be an exciting few games.

Q. Just last season, obviously the bullpen was so huge to the run you guys went on. What would you say the biggest difference between a group so talented last year and another one this year, as far as the chemistry, what you guys have been able to do and hope to continue to do?

A.J. MINTER: I guess going back to last year, I feel like we were definitely a good bullpen, but I don't think we're really dominant until the second half. And obviously in the postseason as well.

And then this year I think we've been pretty much dominant all year.

And it's two different groups. But that being said, we know how important it is for the bullpen to keep the game or keep the game close because we know our hitters at any point in time, especially late in the game, they can score runs. And they can put up a crooked number at any point. We realize that.

We're not putting any more pressure on ourselves coming into the postseason, keep doing what we've been doing and throwing strikes and making hitters earn their way on base.

Q. Going on that question, what do you think then really is, do you credit your success to being so dominant this year? Do you think it was adding new guys into that rotation and work you did in the offseason or a little bit of both?

A.J. MINTER: I think we're just so equally balanced. Last year we had Matzek, Will, myself included. We had a lot of lefties. And we only had Luke Jackson pretty much coming in for right-handed hitters late in the game. And we had Chavy of course too.

But this year I feel we're a lot more equally balanced. Dylan Lee has especially stepped up this year, taking on left-handed hitters and right-handed hitters. Collin McHugh just comes in and always throws multiple innings in high-level situations. And people don't realize how valuable that was when you have a guy who can go multiple innings like that.

And me and Iggy, just going back and forth, matchup play, with lefty and right-handed hitters. And I just feel we're a lot more balanced this year.

Q. We haven't heard yet, waiting to see if Strider makes his debut, but have you talked to him as a rookie? He was so (indiscernible) in the regular season. It's like, what's it going to be like if you come in for a couple of innings or a start, just the difference between that?

A.J. MINTER: Strider is truly a professional. You can't tell he's a rookie at all. So mature, especially just his mentality, his focus towards the game. He's also just another guy that's just even keeled, never lets the situation get too big. And he's way beyond his years as far as a pitcher and a person.

So we feel confident with him coming in. He was in the bullpen earlier in the season. He was dominant, lights out. I fully expect him, if he were to come out of the bullpen, he would do the same thing. So I'm sure he's ready to go to help this team.

Q. Have you guys been -- we've talked a lot about Strider all week. Has there been a buzz about him in the clubhouse as well?

A.J. MINTER: Oh, for sure. He's been working hard just to get back with us. He's been up here every day just doing everything he possibly can and just being in the dugout as well, just rooting on his teammates, just staying locked in.

So we're definitely excited for him to be back with us and help us make another run at this thing, because we're going to need him for sure. So he's kind of one of, hopefully, our secret weapon moving forward.

Q. There's so many different levels for a professional player when they feel like they belong, when you've fought through adversity. I feel like last season you were really emotional about your year, if you will. And this year it seems like you relish in these big moments now. When did those become comfortable for you as well to just feel like you could go out and dominate?

A.J. MINTER: Like every pitcher, we all get anxious and nervous at times when we come in. But for me, I almost have to get a little bit pissed off on the mound. I have to get a little bit angry. Obviously in a good way.

Keep your emotions in check. But for me it's just about being aggressive and not letting those bad thoughts creep into your mind because everyone's guilty of having bad thoughts. When those situations come, you just have to almost trick your brain into telling yourself that, I got this. I'm going to blow it by these guys and I'm just going to throw it right down the middle sometimes. They can hit it. And sometimes they're going to hit a home run or get a base hit. But this year, for the most part, just having that mentality and aggressive, throwing it over the plate, has been working good for me. So I'm not going to change that until they prove that they can hit it.