ATLANTA -- Kolby Allard breezed through the early portion of last season, and he finished with a flurry that strengthened his status as one of baseball's top pitching prospects. But his most beneficial stretch occurred midway through the season, when he struggled for a couple of weeks and then provided a glimpse of his mental resolve.
"I think [the rough stretch] made me a better player, and I'm super excited about the way I matured," Allard said. "After I struggled, I said to myself, 'There are two ways you can go about this. You can roll over and coast the rest of this year, or you can make some adjustments and battle through it.