It’s time to start respecting the Atlanta Braves
By Matt O'Leary
With a 50-40 record and one game out of first in the National League East it’s time we start respecting the Atlanta Braves.
The Atlanta Braves have been a feel-good story through the first half of the 2018 season. After four consecutive losing seasons, the Atlanta Braves are back and turning heads in the National League.
Many have seen the Braves as a nice little story so far, but they’re more than just a flash in the pan. This team is legit, and they should be taken more seriously.
Offensively, this team is one of the elites in the National League. Atlanta is second in batting average, third in on-base percentage, fourth in slugging, third in OPS and second in hits in the National League.
They’re a young team, with a core of guys in their 20’s, which is the perfect formula for long-term success. They’re led by Freddie Freeman who is somehow always overlooked when discussing the best first basemen’s in the entire league.
Freeman’s slashing 312/404/538 with 16 home runs and an OPS of .942. For eight years now Freeman has been the face of the Braves and somehow he’s still only 28-years-old. Unlike past years the offense doesn’t stop there.
21-year-old Ozzie Albies has come into his own in his first full season in the league. Through 89 games this year he’s slashing .285/.324/.514 with 18 home runs and 50 rbi.
Mix in Ender Inciarte (27), Dansby Swanson (24), and Ronal Acuna (21) the Braves have a nice young core of guys. The veterans on the team have also had an offensive resurgence.
Nick Markakis is turning back the clock to 2007 with the season he’s having. The 34-year-old is hitting an impressive .324 (a career high) with 10 home runs, which is more than he had in 160 games last year.
Even on the mound, the Braves hold their own. Make no mistake about it, this is a team built on a fun and productive offense but their pitching staff is decent too. Atlanta’s eighth in the NL in ERA, third in batting average against, and fourth in strikeouts.
Sean Newcomb is leading the way in the starting staff for the Braves. He’s 8-4 with a 3.44 ERA and a 1.279 WHIP. Even veteran Anibal Sanchez has been effective in his first year in Atlanta. The 34-year-old is 4-2 with a 2.72 ERA in 10 starts.
Arodys Vizcaíno pitches in the closer role and has really blossomed in 2018. He has 15 saves so far, a career high, with an ERA of 1.71 ERA. They’re a deep, complete team.
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The narrative all year long has been “can the Braves keep this up?”. The answer is yes, and it’s time to respect them as a contender in the National League.