Braves need Will Smith, whether they want to admit it or not

Whether the Atlanta Braves want to admit it or not, Will Smith plays a vital role in their postseason chances.

We’ve repeatedly gotten on Brian Snitker for placing Smith — who is so obviously flawed as closer at this juncture — in late-game situations, but perhaps we ought to consider the inevitable.

This Braves bullpen is so, so bad as a whole. There are no Mark Melancon’s. No 2019-2020 Shane Greene’s.

With that in mind, Atlanta needs Smith to lead by example, and be the shut-down reliever they know he can be. Instead, he’s offered nothing but constant heart attacks for the fanbase. The ‘Will Smith Experience’ is a well-known phrase for Braves fans, and it has nothing to do with the Academy Award-nominated actor.

Braves: Will Smith is best chance at establishing a decent bullpen

Without Smith, the Braves’ bullpen is lacking at the back-end. Luke Jackson and Tyler Matzek have established roles, and neither is closer material. Beyond that, only Richard Rodriguez has recent closer experience, and he hasn’t been the same since he was acquired from the Pittsburgh Pirates at the trade deadline.

Despite some nervous outings, Smith has a sub-2.00 ERA over his last seven outings. Believe it or not, he’s getting better, even with some walk issues.

On Tuesday night, Smith looked to close out a pivotal game against the Philadelphia Phillies, who are trying to sneak past the Braves for the NL East crown. It was a hectic outing, as evidenced by a walk to Bryce Harper, Matt Vierling reaching on a fielding error by Eddie Rosario, and Harper scoring on a sacrifice fly by Didi Gregorius to cut Philadelphia’s deficit to 2-1. That last run came with two outs on the board, but Smith officially closed the door on the Phillies by striking out Freddy Galvis on eight pitches.

It may not be pretty, but Smith is the best option available in the back of Atlanta’s bullpen with just five games remaining in the season. Have faith, Braves fans.

As baseball fans, we all remember our firsts. Whether it’s the first game we attended, the first jersey we purchased or our team’s first World Series win. This summer, Woodbridge Wines, FanSided and some of your favorite baseball stars want to help you celebrate your baseball fan firsts. Check out this video from Adam Jones talking about his own baseball first and then share your own stories by visiting https://woodbridgevideocontest.dja.com/index for your chance to meet Adam Jones himself!”
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Open only to legal residents of the 50 U.S. and D.C., 21 or older. Starts 10:00 AM (ET) on August 2, 2021 and ends 11:59 PM (ET) on September 30, 2021. The Woodbridge Video Contest is sponsored by Constellation Brands, Inc. No alcohol awarded with prizes. Void where prohibited. For complete details, see Official Rules at WoodbridgeVideoContest.dja.com. Please enjoy our wines responsibly. © 2021 Woodbridge Winery, Acampo, CA