3 Things to get excited about for Braves-Cardinals Game 5
By Sean Sears
Atlanta’s young core isn’t a group that lacks confidence
A lot is made about having a veteran presence on ballclub in the postseason. having players who have playoff experience can help guide a team and both the Cardinals and Braves have great veterans on their roster.
But sometimes you need a little bit of risk on your roster, like the Cubs in 2016, making players like Javier Baez and Willson Contreras essentially starters in the postseason. Without those two young players, the Cubs likely don’t win the World Series.
The Cardinals have players like Tommy Edman and Harrison Bader who have had a real impact in this series, but the young talent on the Braves is some of the best the game has to offer. Ronald Acuna has been excellent so far in four games this postseason, slashing .500/.579/.1000, but he’s only hit one home run, a 9th inning blast that came in a loss.
Acuna along with Ozzie Albies, Dansby Swanson, and Austin Riley have all had some impact in this series, but in an elimination game, the pressure will be at an all-time high. While some players may fear those moments, the Braves are a group that seem to welcome the spotlight, and sometimes that confidence can actually help players almost ignore the moment.
With Freddie Freeman essentially missing this entire series, look for one of the young studs on Atlanta to help lead the charge over St. Louis in Game 5.