Call to the pen
Fansided

Atlanta Braves: The franchise all-time bracket

By Bill Felber

ATLANTA, GA - AUGUST 27: A detail view of the Atlanta Braves logo before the game against the Cleveland Indians at Turner Field on August 27, 2013. The Braves won 2-0. (Photo by Pouya Dianat/Atlanta Braves/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - AUGUST 27: A detail view of the Atlanta Braves logo before the game against the Cleveland Indians at Turner Field on August 27, 2013. The Braves won 2-0. (Photo by Pouya Dianat/Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 7
Next
Atlanta Braves
(Photo by Hulton Archive Getty Images) /

Atlanta Braves: The All-Time Bracket

No. 2 vs. 7 seed

The 1995 Braves won Atlanta’s first World Series, defeating Cleveland in six games. Maddux was 19-2, winning his fourth consecutive Cy Young. Glavine was 16-7, and Smoltz 12-7.

Lopez led the batting stats with a .315 average. First baseman Fred McGriff hit 27 home runs for 93 RBIs, and outfielder Ryan Klesko batted .310 with 23 homers and 70 RBIs.

The 1948 Braves are little recalled today, but they won the National League pennant by a comfortable six and one-half games over the St. Louis Cardinals. This was an offensive-minded team: second baseman Eddie Stanky batted .320, shortstop Alvin Dark hit .322, outfielder Tommy Holmes batted .325 and outfielder Jeff Heath hit .319.

Third baseman Bob Elliott provided the power with 23 homers and 100 RBIs.

That was the team made famous by “Spahn and Sain.” Together, Warren Spahn and Johnny Sain started 74 games, with a 39-27 record covering 572 innings. There was no Cy Young Award yet, but Sain finished second in Most Valuable Player voting to Stan Musial.

Related Story. Los Angeles Dodgers: The franchise all-time bracket. light

Game 1: The 1948 Braves’ 91-62 regular-season record works out to a .595 percentage. The 1995 team was 90-54, .625.

Game 2: In 1995 the Braves had a .786 post-season percentage. The 1948 team lost a six-game World Series to the Cleveland Indians.

Game 3: The 1995 team only managed a 91 OPS+. In 1948 the Braves had a 105 OPS+.

Game 4: The 1995 staff of Glavine-Smoltz-Maddux got to 123 in ERA+. The Spahn-Sain 1948 staff stopped at 115.  That gives 1995 a 3-1 lead.

Game 5: In 1948 the Braves produced 56.4 WAR. The 1995 team could do no better than 38.2

Game 6: Both teams fielded two points better than the league average. Carrying the decimals produced a slight edge for 1948. This series goes to a  seventh game.

Game 7: As deep as the 1948 team was, it has produced only one certified Hall of Famer, that being Spahn. The 1995 team had four Hall of Famers: Maddux, Glavine, Smoltz and Chipper Jones.

Result: 1995 in seven games

Home/Atlanta Braves