Commentary
At the All-Star Break, the Atlanta Braves were the second-worst team in all of Major League baseball, and the worst in the National League. The early firing of manager Fredi Gonzalez on May 15th and the suspension of highly-anticipated Cuban slugger Hector Olivera for violation of the MLB domestic violence policies did nothing to impede the sense of hopelessness that Braves fans felt by the halfway point of the season.
After the All-Star Break, however, the Braves saw a massive uptick. The first and most obvious reason for the Braves’ recent surge is their trade for outfielder Matt Kemp. In his prime, Kemp was one of the most exciting players in baseball with the Los Angeles Dodgers from 2009 to 2012, but due to the recent decline in his career, the Braves managed to get him from the San Diego Padres for the Olivera. Since Kemp’s addition to the team, the Braves had 23 wins and 23 losses through September 19th; A tremendous improvement over their 36-68 record before the deal.
While Kemp has had a direct impact on the team with his play on the field, his presence has also contributed to the Braves’ success. The Braves now have someone in the lineup to protect first baseman Freddie Freeman, whose output has climbed at a staggering rate. After hitting .313 in August with nine home runs, 24 RBI and 26 runs, Freeman continued his success into September. In the first four games games of the month, he went 6-for-13 with seven walks, two homers, five RBI and six runs, and was named National League Player of the Week.
While the trade for Kemp and the subsequent increase in hitting from Freeman have pushed the Braves forward, the arrival of young stars from the minor leagues and the return of pitcher Julio Teheran from injury have also given the Braves hope for the future. Playing young pitchers such as Tyrell Jenkins and Aaron Blair gives them valuable experience and increases their chances of success at the big league level in the future.
The Braves have perhaps one of the most exciting and anticipated young players in the Big Leagues, shortstop Dansby Swanson. His transition to the majors has been fairly smooth, as he sports a .305 batting average and a .358 on-base percentage since arriving in the big leagues. His play, along with a resurgent Nick Markakis in the outfield have stabilized the Braves on the defensive side of the ball, and gotten men on base for the hot bats of Freeman, Kemp and power-hitting third baseman Adonis Garcia to drive in.
While the increase in offense is very noticeable when looking at what the Braves have done recently, the Braves pitching has also become more consistent and improved greatly. Teheran’s return has given the Braves a clear ace, which has strengthened to the pitching staff by establishing a leader.
With a new look, the Braves have found great success, and a plan for the future. When the Braves move to their new field, SunTrust Park, in 2017, they will without a doubt be a competitive team. While they will likely be competitive, they are simply too young; therefore I can’t see them realistically being a playoff team. In the following years, however, the Braves will have a solid base from which to launch a playoff caliber team, led by the young players we are watching strive in the big leagues right now.
