Call to the pen
Fansided

Atlanta Braves: Recap of the first half of the 2018 season

By Brian Cox

ATLANTA, GA JULY 11: Braves infielder Ozzie Albies (right) talks with Ronald Acuna, Jr. (left) after Albies hit his second home run of the game during the game between Atlanta and Toronto on July 11th, 2018 at SunTrust Park in Atlanta, GA. The Atlanta Braves defeated the Toronto Blue Jays by a score of 9 - 5. (Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA JULY 11: Braves infielder Ozzie Albies (right) talks with Ronald Acuna, Jr. (left) after Albies hit his second home run of the game during the game between Atlanta and Toronto on July 11th, 2018 at SunTrust Park in Atlanta, GA. The Atlanta Braves defeated the Toronto Blue Jays by a score of 9 - 5. (Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
(Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Pre-Ronald Acuña Atlanta Braves

The Atlanta Braves headed into 2018 with many clamoring for the inclusion of Ronald Acuña on the opening day roster. Fortunately, general manager Alex Anthopoulos wisely chose to play the long game and started Acuña in AAA Gwinnett for the first half of April.

In short, due to service time rules that are beyond my comprehension, keeping Acuña off of the big league roster for a handful of games in April ensured that the Braves would still have six full years of his services beyond 2018.  The rule itself is fairly straightforward, but the reasoning and logic behind it is a discussion for another time and place.

Atlanta started 2018 with newly-acquired Preston Tucker manning left field.  Tucker got off to a hot start by batting .435 with an OPS of 1.244, 2 HR, and 9 RBI in the first 7 games.  He cooled off considerably after the first week and finished his stint as the starter with an OPS of .754, 3 HR, and 18 RBI.  Overall, the team went 12-10 during that span.

After spending 3 years in the NL East cellar, the Braves successfully maneuvered through the first month with Tucker in LF and positioned themselves for a chance to head into the summer months with a chance to compete for the division crown.

Acuña Mania Sweeps Through Atlanta

The 20 year-old phenom made his Major League debut after the Braves dismal showing in the first two games of the four game series in Cincinnati at the end of April. With Acuña serving as the catalyst by batting .382 with 2 HR and 5 RBI in his first 8 games, the Braves reeled a record of 7-1 to vault into first place, where they’ve maintained status through much of the rest of the season to this point.

As the league adjusted to Acuña’s talents, he inevitably cooled off a bit.  Regardless, the youthful enthusiasm he added to the top of the order along with best friend Ozzie Albies allowed the Braves to leave Boston on Memorial Day weekend with a record of 18-11 over the past 29 games.

Acuña’s injury in the 3rd game of the series with the Red Sox appeared to be a major blow at the time, and many thought he could potentially be done for the year.  Luckily, the knee-injury proved to be less serious than it looked in real time. While he ultimately recovered after being on the disable list for a full month, the injury coincided with the team’s momentum coming to a screeching halt.

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