Touki Toussaint

Touki Gilbert Kiti Toussaint

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 3", Weight 185 lb.
• High School Coral Springs Christian Academy
• Debut August 13, 2018

• Born June 20, 1996 in Pembroke Pines, FL USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Pitcher Touki Toussaint was selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks and scout Frankie Thon in the first round of the 2014 amateur draft with the 16th overall pick. He soon signed, and he made his pro debut that summer with the AZL Diamondbacks. He also pitched for the Missoula Osprey of the Pioneer League that first year, combining for a record of 2-4, 8.58, the 22 runs he allowed in 13 1/3 innings in Missoula being responsible for the very high ERA. He began the 2015 season with the Kane County Cougars of the Midwest League. He was 2-2, 3.69 after 7 starts when on June 20th, he was traded to the Atlanta Braves along with veteran starting pitcher Bronson Arroyo in return for IF Philip Gosselin. Toussaint was clearly the prize that convinced the Braves to take on the rather large salary due to the injured Arroyo.

He was named to the World Team for the 2018 Futures Game as a late replacement for Francisco Mejia, who had been called up to the majors the day before the game was to take place. While born in the United States, he was representing Haiti at the game, the country from which his parents emigrated. He was called up to the majors on August 13, 2018 to start the first game of a doubleheader against the Miami Marlins. He had an excellent outing, giving up just a run on 2 hits in 6 innings as Atlanta won the game, 9-1, on its way to sweeping the twin bill. He made 7 appearances, including 5 starts for the Braves, and did well overall, going 2-1, 4.03, with just 18 hits allowed in 29 innings. He had very good stuff, but did not have full control of it, as evidenced by his 32 strikeouts and 21 walks. In the minors, he went 9-6, 2.38 in 24 starts between AA and AAA. Still, the Braves put him on their postseason roster, and he received credit for their only win of the Division Series, a 6-5 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 3 on October 7th. He actually pitched better in a loss in Game, tossing two hitless and scoreless innings during which he walked 2 batters and struck out as many. In his winning appearance, he was Atlanta's fourth pitcher of the game, following starter Sean Newcomb and relievers Kevin Gausman and Max Fried. He took over in the 6th with the score tied at 5, and while he loaded the bases on a double and a pair of walks, he managed to get Chris Taylor to ground out to third to end the inning, after which Freddie Freeman led off the bottom of the 6th with a homer, which turned out to account for the final run of the game.

In 2019, he pitched 24 times for Atlanta, with just one start, going 4-0, 5.62 and logging 41 2/3 innings. His control improved somewhat, as he walked 26 batters while striking out 45 men. He also made 10 starts in AAA with the Gwinnett Stripers, but was hit hard, to the tune of a 7.49 ERA and a record of 1-6; he allowed 51 hits and 28 walks in 39 2/3 innings, leading to a plethora of runs allowed. He did not pitch in the postseason that year. In 2020, when training camp resumed in July, he was one of a number of Braves players to test positive for COVID-19 and was kept away from the rest of the team until July 17th as a result.

Notable Achievements

• Won one World Series with the Atlanta Braves in 2021 (he did not play in the World Series)

Related Sites

• Touki Toussaint on mlb.com
• BR Minors page