Atlanta Braves: Projecting a near perfect 2018 campaign
How close are the Atlanta Braves in returning to their glory days? They are closer than you might believe.
It’s the bottom of the ninth, and the bases are loaded. It’s Game 7 of the World Series..ha who I am kidding. The Atlanta Braves are close everybody, but let’s settle down and take a more realistic, but still exciting approach to the upcoming 2018 season.
By now, everyone knows baseball genius Alex Anthopoulos has taken over the Atlanta Braves front office, and with it comes a fresh opportunity for new faces to make a name for themselves. With the winter meetings and free agency officially underway the Braves front office is gearing up for what could be a very intriguing next few weeks.
The Atlanta Braves are set to bring back almost their entire fleet from this past season, which if I may, almost contended for the playoffs. Yes, the Braves were .500 after the All-Star Break, and yes they simply caved under pressure.
But, wouldn’t you?
The Atlanta Braves had one of, if not, the youngest team in all of baseball last season and they even swept the NL Wild Card-winning Arizona Diamondbacks.
As we head into 2018, the Atlanta Braves front office will have the fun task of deciding what to do with the third base position. Do they chase a big name free agent? Or, do they turn to someone already in-house to manage the left field line?
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With Freddie Freeman, Dansby Swanson, Ozzie Albies, and Tyler Flowers all returning there really is only one issue to solve in the infield.
Now, as for the outfield. With the outfield filled with aging veterans, the Braves will have the choice of filling it with prospects such as Ronald Acuna and company or again looking into free agency.
As for that one reader who has their eyes in the back of their head because the Braves don’t need another batter, but rather pitching for their atrocious bullpen. I hear you loud and clear.
Last season, the Atlanta Braves led one too many games into the late innings and saw the lead slip because of unreliable arms.
The task of projecting a near perfect 2018 campaign is simple. Do the Braves find a more reliable bullpen that can close games late? Or do they not?
The Washington Nationals have been begging to be knocked off by anyone in the NL East given their horrendous postseason record, and why can’t the Braves do it? They had their number in 2017, but as I have said a million times we blew too many games late.
With Anthopoulos comes a fresh start for this organization, but a great baseball mind comes with it as well. The Braves have one of the top 3 best farm systems in baseball, and if Anthopoulos does so correctly, he could potentially keep the Braves not only building for the future, but also make the present pleasurable.