2015 Season Predictions
The Atlanta Braves aren’t going to be very good in 2015.
That is certainly a blunt characterization of their immediate future, but when a 79-win team takes a visible step back in talent virtually across the board, it should not be controversial to project an ugly campaign. There is, of course, a path to reasonable success for Atlanta if the starting pitching dominates (much like in 2014) with a reasonable bounce back from players like Andrelton Simmons and Chris Johnson, but taking the baseline projections for this roster would almost certainly give the Braves less than 75 victories.
Because they can’t simply say that they are punting until 2016 or 2017, Atlanta’s braintrust seems insistent on referencing them as a competing team and that is admirable. However, the Washington Nationals are in the NL East, and there appears to be a 20-win gap (to be kind) between the two clubs, with the Miami Marlins and New York Mets arguably possessing better 25-man rosters at this point in time.
It could be a long year in “Braves Country”.
Projection: 72-90 (4th in NL East)