Atlanta Braves: What Does Series Win Over Brewers Tell Us?
By Max Neibaur
The Atlanta Braves topped the Milwaukee Brewers making a statement about which direction each playoff contender is headed on August 12 in the 2018 season.
The Brewers offense woke up against the Atlanta Braves after recent struggles. Milwaukee raked 19 hits in the finale. Lorenzo Cain added a career-high four hits from the leadoff spot in that one and batted over .400 during the series.
But, it was the efficiency of the Atlanta Braves who took two of three at home to hold ground in the NL East.
Will Atlanta Braves see Milwaukee Brewers in Playoffs?
The Braves and Brewers have many things in common. Both represent good, quick rebuilds.
However, the Braves are trending up and the Brewers are trending down at this point in the 2018 season. The Braves look playoff bound, the Brewers do not. But there is still plenty of time left in the year.
A quick cross-comparison of the teams reveals much. Both recently rebuilt their clubs around perennial batting wizards.
Freddie Freeman of the Braves is having a good year. His OPS is well over .900, which is tremendous and All-Star-worthy. Former MVP Ryan Braun missed time with injuries and has lost at-bats to better players in 2018 for Milwaukee.
Both teams also have a veteran outfielder playing well. Milwaukee signed Lorenzo Cain for 2018 and Atlanta still has former Orioles fan-favorite Nick Markakis who they signed in 2014. Both of these players are positives.
However, Cain has been on the DL whereas Markakis has kept himself in the lineup and is competing with the Christian Yelich for batting championship this year. Yelich plays for, guess who? Yes, the Milwaukee Brewers.
This battle for the batting crown is another connection between the Braves and Brewers. Much like everything else, the Braves player holds a slight lead right now compared to the backward trending Brewers.
Markakis has thrived in Atlanta after coming over from Baltimore. The Brewers also brought in a former Orioles player.
Braves Albies and Brewers Schoop: Curacao connection
The Milwaukee Brewers traded for Orioles INF Jonathan Schoop at the 2018 trade deadline. Schoop, however, is taking time to transition after being traded from Baltimore to Milwaukee. The Brewers’ Schoop happens to be a Curacao native just like Braves icon Andruw Jones.
Furthermore, Atlanta also has a young second baseman from Curacao.
Ozzie Albies hit the go-ahead homer in the rubber-match against the Brewers and has been consistently great all year for Atlanta. The elite second baseman already has 21 home runs and 12 steals this year.
The slide of Schoop and breakout of Albies parallel the direction of these two teams after their series in August.
Atlanta Braves and Milwaukee Brewers surprise by contending quickly after rebuild
Not many thought the Braves had enough experience to contend quite as early as 2018. However, the Atlanta team find themselves at the top of the NL East Standings competing with the Philadelphia Phillies. The Brewers were in the same position with the Cubs last season.
Braves position prospects are breaking through and the pitching breakouts are finally putting it together. The Braves made several deals to build a tremendous farm system and it is growing up fast.
Through August 12, the Atlanta Braves are third in OPS and runs scored in the NL. Furthermore, Braves starters are third in the league in ERA.
The Braves have a good blend of veteran leaders and talented youth.
The Brewers have a tremendous young bullpen, but their starters seem to be getting lucky. Chase Anderson gives up too many homers. As of August 12, Anderson allows 1.7 HR/9, which is the worst in the NL.
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Freddy Peralta and Corbin Burnes look like future rotation mainstays, but they are rookies.
Braves starter Mike Foltynewicz (Folty) is young but ahead of the Brewers young starters. In 2018, Folty currently has his ERA under three and is striking out more than a hitter per inning.
The Braves and Brewers have much in common and should be competing for postseason position for years to come.
This season, after winning a three-game series over the Milwaukee Brewers at home, the Atlanta Braves are trending up and the Brewers down.
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It will be fun to watch how the futures of these similar franchises play out over the next few seasons. For 2018, if they both make the playoffs, it very well could mean a matchup of the Atlanta Braves and Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Wild Card game, and that would be a very fitting matchup.