Atlanta Braves: 3 reasons to be concerned despite hot start

The Atlanta Braves are off to a hot start this season despite clear roster concerns and injury issues. The Mets’ ineptitude and the Phillies’ poor start opened the door for the Braves to run away with the NL East for the first quarter of the season.

However, Atlanta’s bar for success isn’t simply winning their division or making the postseason. This is a team that is only two years removed from winning the World Series and clearly was a favorite last season before the Phillies’ hot October shook up the National League bracket.

Atlanta’s reasons for concern aren’t about the team’s regular season, but rather about the team heading into October and whether or not they will be able to take that next step once again. Aside from the injury issues this is a team that obviously can fix their roster issues with a GM that has proven very adept at adding impact players at the trade deadline.

With this in mind, let’s take a look at the three biggest issues facing the Braves as we near the summer.

1. The lack of an answer at shortstop for Atlanta Braves

Letting Dansby Swanson walk was understandable at the time what wasn’t was the Braves adding to positions of strength and doing absolutely nothing at the position. Two months into the season, we have seen three different starters two derailed by injuries and Vaughn Grissom sent back down due to poor defense.

Grissom is a solid hitter but clearly struggled in spring to adjust to the shortstop position and clearly cannot start for a serious contender. This leaves the Braves now counting on either an unproven prospect or veteran Orlando Arcia, who is a career .245 hitter.

Arcia has been great at the plate early for the Braves, hitting .317 and playing solid defense. However, there is clear reason to believe Arcia will regress back to his career norms and the Braves will still be without an answer to the position.

Atlanta’s lineup is deep, but this is a team with World Series expectations not simply content with a postseason slot. If the team wants their second title in the last three seasons, they will need to make a move to add more depth at the position.

Even if letting Swanson go was the right decision, it is obvious the team made a mistake not attempting to bring in depth left counting on Arcia to continue a season that is clearly an outlier for a player that will regress.

2. Atlanta’s two best pitchers can’t stay healthy

One of the Braves’ strengths heading into the 2023 season was the depth of their starting pitching. Atlanta is perfectly set to match with any rotation with Max Fried, Kyle Wright, Spencer Strider, and Charlie Morton as their first four in the rotation. Strider hasn’t been quite as dominant to start the season and now both Wright and Fried are dealing with serious injuries.

Mike Soroka is once again healthy, but struggling in the minor leagues and clearly going to need time to get back to the player he once was. Atlanta’s great depth at starting pitcher is going to be challenged now and that is a cause for concern.

Strider can clearly be relied on and should improve as the season goes on becoming even more dominant. However, after Strider can the Braves count on anyone in their rotation until Wright and Fried are healthy?

It is a major concern for a team that was thought to have one of the best rotations in the league. While neither injury is thought to be long term the team is obviously preparing to be without at least Fried for the next few weeks. Even once healthy, Fried will need to stretch back out and have a rehab assignment.

Atlanta adding a veteran starter to add a bit more depth behind a rotation dealing with question marks wouldn’t be at all surprising. If this rotation is healthy, they are more than capable of carrying Atlanta to another title. The early returns, however, have been concerning but it is worth noting that, despite these key injuries, Atlanta has maintained a large division lead and continues to play at a high level.