Atlanta Braves: 5 players who have exceeded expectations in 2017

The Atlanta Braves were looking for improvement this season and these five players have definitely exceeded expectations in 2017.

The Atlanta Braves came into 2017 looking to improve from the last two seasons. This organization on won 14 straight divisional titles, but they recently had no other choice but to rebuild the whole farm system to try and become one of the MLB’s best teams again. That being said, it looks like they are well on their way to achieving that goal.

The 2017 Braves haven’t been perfect, but they haven’t been terrible either. Most fans have been excited with how this team has performed, especially since they’ve done a pretty darn good job of hitting the baseball; something that this team hasn’t done well in a long time.

Due to how bad this team has been over the last two years, the most any Braves fan could ask for in this season was that this team would, at the very least, be watchable. Not only is this team watchable, but they should end the season with a record somewhere around .500.

No, Atlanta probably won’t make the playoffs this year, but they have gotten significantly better. Not to mention, most of their top prospects are now playing at the major-league level.

Related Story: Braves Have Finally Found Their Ace

With trades and signings in the offseason, this team has become one to watch out for. They still aren’t a team that scares you, but they are one that can beat anyone on any given night.

That being said, there are five specific players on this Braves team who have exceeded expectations in 2017 and are key pieces of this organization moving forward.

5. Ender Inciarte, CF

Okay, let’s be honest here, Braves center fielder Ender Inciarte set pretty high expectations for himself after winning a Gold Glove last season. We all knew that he would immediately give the team a phenomenal player in the outfield, but it’s been his ability to hit the baseball that should have every Braves fan excited moving forward.

According to MLB Stats, the talented center fielder is currently leading the team in batting average, hits and stolen bases through the beginning of August. Needless to say, he’s been the table-setter for the Braves’ power hitters and is truly the elite player the team’s front office traded for in the Shelby Miller deal a few years ago.

If you’ve been an Atlanta baseball fan for the last decade, then you know how much time and money this organization has spent looking for a player to hold down the leadoff spot in the lineup. In 2016, Inciarte gave us all a glimpse of what was to come, as he finished the season with a .291 average, .351 on base percentage and 45 walks.

While those aren’t fantastic numbers by any stretch, that is exactly the type of production the Braves need in order to start competing for a pennant again. This organization was once a perennial contender for the World Series and Inciarte is the type of player that will help Atlanta get back to the promised land.

4. Mike Foltynewicz, SP

Mike Foltynewicz has, most definitely, taken huge strides in 2017 and has become the Braves’ best starting pitcher. I’m not even sure we can call Folty’s teammate Julio Teheran an ace this season, as the veteran starter has struggled to keep the ball inside of SunTrust Park. If Atlanta somehow made the Wild Card game in October, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Folty take the mound with the season on the line.

There’s still a lot of baseball left to be played this year, but I think it’s safe to say that Folty is the Braves’ ace for the rest of this season and beyond.

According to MLB Stats, Foltynewicz has the team’s best earned run average, most wins and strikeouts. With a 3.94 ERA and 10 wins in 2017, he is going to demolish his 2016 numbers with Atlanta. For example, Folty is currently sitting on a 10-6 record in August, while he only finished 9-6 in 2016.

There are obviously still some things he needs to work through before becoming an elite pitcher in Major League Baseball, but he’s coming along very nicely.

Needless to say, the former 19^th overall pick is starting to come into his own with the Atlanta Braves. At the same time, Atlanta fans must have patience with Folty, as he will continue to take lumps on the mound over the next few seasons. He’s not going to become an All-Star overnight, but he’s getting pretty darn close.

3. Kurt Suzuki, C

If you saw this kind of production coming from Kurt Suzuki before 2017 started, then you should probably stop what you’re doing and go by a lottery ticket right now. I’m not completely sure Atlanta’s front office thought the veteran catcher would provide this much power off the bench. Needless to say, no one in Atlanta is complaining about it right now.

According to MLB Stats, Sukuki has a .261 batting average with 12 home runs and 33 runs batted in. He’s been a huge addition to this rebuilding baseball team and has hit more long bombs in 2017 than he has since 2011, when he hit 14.

The crazy part about Suzuki is that he doesn’t play nearly as much as Tyler Flowers, yet he has three more homers than his counterpart. Again, please raise your hand if you thought Suzuki would be sitting among the Braves’ home run leaders list in the month of August. Yeah, that’s what I thought.

In all seriousness, just take a look at the five players on Atlanta with the most home runs:

1. Freddie Freeman – 20
2. Matt Adams – 15
3. Matt Kemp – 14
4. Kurt Suzuki – 12
5. Tyler Flowers – 9

Freddie Freeman, Matt Adams, Matt Kemp and Tyler Flowers have all been consistent starters at some point this season. Whether it was because their teammate was injured or because they were the best player, they have had the most opportunities to get in a rhythm at the plate.

That being said, Kurt Suzuki has done his damage whenever Flowers gets a day off. To be more specific, Suzuki only has 165 recorded at-bats in 2017, where Freeman has 246, Adams has 226, Flowers has 244 and Kemp has 348.

I wasn’t too thrilled with the Suzuki signing before the season started, but he is sure is making me eat crow now.

2. Matt Adams, 1B

In my humble opinion, Matt Adams has become one of the most dangerous Atlanta Braves in the 2017 season. Once Freddie Freeman went down earlier in the season with a broken wrist, people around the Braves organization immediately started to figure out what they were going to do at first base for 8-10 weeks.

Atlanta initially signed James Loney to a minor-league contract, but everyone knew that Loney ultimately wouldn’t be enough to fill that major void at first for 2-3 months.

That being said, the Braves’ front office traded for Matt Adams from the St. Louis Cardinals on May 20. It became immediately clear that Adams was much different than everyone expected, as he has been crushing the baseball ever since he joining the club.

Heck, he was playing so well that Atlanta moved Freeman to third base for a period once the team’s All-Star came off the DL.

According to MLB Stats, Adams is currently second on the team in home runs with 15, fourth in runs batted in with 42 and seventh in doubles with 15.

It’s definitely a bummer that Matt Adams is having to split time in left field with Matt Kemp and Danny Santana, but at least the Braves now have a power hitter on the bench. This will give manager Brian Snitker an opportunity to play him against right-handed pitchers and give the team insurance at first base if Freeman ever goes down with an injury again.

Needless to say, Adams has exceeded expectations and become a huge part of this 2017 Atlanta Braves baseball team.