Braves Must Make Mike Soroka Their No. 1 Starter in the Playoffs

Atlanta Braves rookie pitcher and stud Mike Soroka needs to be on the mound for Game 1 of the NLDS and then must be regarded as the team's top arm in the NLCS and World Series should the Braves make it that far.

That should be the easiest task for Brian Snitker to complete on his playoff agenda.

After another sparkling start against the Nationals, in which he only gave up one hit in six innings for a 5-0 win, Soroka has shown that he has what it takes to set the tone for a Braves team atop the NL East...as a rookie.

Not many first-year players can do what Soroka's accomplished this year.

For the season, Soroka is 12-4 with a 2.57 ERA to go along with 130 strikeouts. He's been incredibly consistent for the Braves, who have enough manpower in their bats to feel confident about winning any game as long as Soroka's on the mound pitching quality baseball.

Come October, we'll see if Soroka can continue to perform, but this time on baseball's brightest stage. Perhaps he'll recreate some of the magic found on the 1995 Braves squad, the last Atlanta team to win the World Series.