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Atlanta Braves: Three storylines to watch in the second half

By Daniel Rasmussen

ATLANTA, GA JULY 14: Braves outfielders Ronald Acuna, Jr. (left), Ender Inciarte (center), and Nick Markakis (right) take a knee during a break in the action during the game between Atlanta and Arizona on July 14th, 2018 at SunTrust Park in Atlanta, GA. The Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Atlanta Braves by a score of 3 0. (Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA JULY 14: Braves outfielders Ronald Acuna, Jr. (left), Ender Inciarte (center), and Nick Markakis (right) take a knee during a break in the action during the game between Atlanta and Arizona on July 14th, 2018 at SunTrust Park in Atlanta, GA. The Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Atlanta Braves by a score of 3 0. (Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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Atlanta Braves
(Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

The Atlanta Braves entered the MLB All-Star Break as one of baseball’s most fascinating stories for the 2018 season.

The Atlanta Braves second-place standing in the NL East – by a mere half game behind the equally-fascinating Philadelphia Phillies – and overall performance has far surpassed preseason expectations.

For most Atlanta Braves fans, being in this position is a huge surprise, and they’re happy to be along for the ride, seeing the young team grow in leaps and bounds, reminding of teams like 1991 that really could be around to compete for many years with the young core of players along with the veteran leadership.

Instead, the Atlanta Braves are now primed to make a few moves this summer that could lead to playoff baseball in Atlanta for the first time in 5 years. As the second half gets set to launch, and MLB’s July 31st trade deadline quickly approaches, it’s a good time to assess what concerns need to be addressed in order for the Braves to once again experience the sweetness that is October baseball.

Well over three months into the 2018 campaign, some areas stand out more so than others as problematic and most definitely need to see improvement in order for Atlanta to make a strong playoff push. While disrupting the clubhouse that Brian Snitker and Alex Anthopolous have built and taking away too much from the future will be avoided, what can the Braves do to be prepared for success in the postseason?

Next: Starting Rotation

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