MSOrange
2020 Cali Award Winner, Regular Season Record
- Joined
- Aug 27, 2011
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My guess is this thread will turn into a bunch of Red Sox and Yankees posts but if you're a fan of another team, what do you think of their first half? I'll start with my Atlanta Braves.
I'll give the Braves a solid A-. Most had the Braves predicted behind the Phillies and Mets it seems, so I'm thrilled to be in first at the break.
Offensively, I love the Braves. There's really not a spot in the order 1-8 that I truly consider a weak spot. Rookie Austin Riley has been huge since he came up to replace injured Ender Inciarte in left field. His batting average is down to 257 but I'll take 16 HR and 41 RBI from a rookie any day. It'll be interesting to see what they do when Inciarte comes back as he's on a rehab assignment right now. Josh Donaldson started slow but he heated up. Freddie Freeman continues to be a quiet superstar. Snitker is platooning McCann and Flowers at catcher quite well to put them where they can be successful. I feel comfortable with our bench with Charlie Culberson, Johan Camergo and Matt Joyce.
Starting pitching is solid but needs to be better. Rookie Mike Soroka has been fantastic, but I'm always concerned if a rookie can keep it up the entire year. Dallas Keuchel has put up couple good starts after a bit of a rough first start. He can be a bit inconsistent though, so that worries me. Julio Teheran has looked more like the good 2013-14 version and they really need him to keep it up. Max Fried has been inconsistent, but to be expected in his first full season starting. The 5th starter remains a question mark. I'm hoping Kevin Gausman will come back from the DL healthy and pitch like he did when we got him from the Orioles last year. If we do make the playoffs, I think Soroka, Keuchel and Teheran can be a solid top 3 and Fried would be a good 4th - but my confidence level is obviously not like the Smoltz, Glavine, Maddux days.
Our bullpen is our Achilles heel. I just hold my breath when closer Luke Jackson heads out of the bullpen. If a team that's out of the chase is looking to move a closer at the deadline, I would hope and expect the Braves to be involved in those talks. There's really only 2 middle relievers that I feel comfortable with also. I would have loved to have signed Kimbrel but they weren't going to sign both him and Keuchel.
Bottom line, unlike our 1991-2005 run where starting pitching carried the Braves, I think we're going to have to win with the bats if we make a playoff run this year.
I'll give the Braves a solid A-. Most had the Braves predicted behind the Phillies and Mets it seems, so I'm thrilled to be in first at the break.
Offensively, I love the Braves. There's really not a spot in the order 1-8 that I truly consider a weak spot. Rookie Austin Riley has been huge since he came up to replace injured Ender Inciarte in left field. His batting average is down to 257 but I'll take 16 HR and 41 RBI from a rookie any day. It'll be interesting to see what they do when Inciarte comes back as he's on a rehab assignment right now. Josh Donaldson started slow but he heated up. Freddie Freeman continues to be a quiet superstar. Snitker is platooning McCann and Flowers at catcher quite well to put them where they can be successful. I feel comfortable with our bench with Charlie Culberson, Johan Camergo and Matt Joyce.
Starting pitching is solid but needs to be better. Rookie Mike Soroka has been fantastic, but I'm always concerned if a rookie can keep it up the entire year. Dallas Keuchel has put up couple good starts after a bit of a rough first start. He can be a bit inconsistent though, so that worries me. Julio Teheran has looked more like the good 2013-14 version and they really need him to keep it up. Max Fried has been inconsistent, but to be expected in his first full season starting. The 5th starter remains a question mark. I'm hoping Kevin Gausman will come back from the DL healthy and pitch like he did when we got him from the Orioles last year. If we do make the playoffs, I think Soroka, Keuchel and Teheran can be a solid top 3 and Fried would be a good 4th - but my confidence level is obviously not like the Smoltz, Glavine, Maddux days.
Our bullpen is our Achilles heel. I just hold my breath when closer Luke Jackson heads out of the bullpen. If a team that's out of the chase is looking to move a closer at the deadline, I would hope and expect the Braves to be involved in those talks. There's really only 2 middle relievers that I feel comfortable with also. I would have loved to have signed Kimbrel but they weren't going to sign both him and Keuchel.
Bottom line, unlike our 1991-2005 run where starting pitching carried the Braves, I think we're going to have to win with the bats if we make a playoff run this year.
