The Atlanta Braves finished in last place in the NL East and the fifth worst in the game. What are five things the Braves need to focus on in the off-season?
1. Keep Brian Snitker as manager
Yes the Braves finished in last, but they had a good second half, finishing over .500 after an abysmal start. Going into their brand new stadium with an MVP candidate first baseman in Freddie Freeman, a top prospect in Dansby Swanson, an excellent pitcher in Julio Teheran and and excellent farm system, there is a ton of reasons for hope.
But there’s a lot of things to work on. The team was towards the bottom in many offensive and pitching categories. It’s great to have the farm system that the Braves do, but when those kids come up they have to perform. Many of the pitchers like John Gant and Aaron Blair did not when called upon. Does that mean they can’t? No, but if they are going to win consistently they need to upgrade the rotation.
Brian Snitker should remain Braves skipper for the upcoming season and beyond. The team seemed to respond to Snitker and he was a part of the development of some of the kids that have come up.
Snitker has been in the organization for 40 years. He’s seen everything and learned from guys like Bobby Cox. The players love him. It’s time to reward a guy who’s been a part of the organization for such a long time as they move into the future.