Clutch my pearls! Braves forced to live with 2021 World Series regrets in brutal spring training sequence

Back in 2021, the Atlanta Braves captured one of the most unlikely World Series titles in recent memory. Atlanta constantly faced adversity that season, losing key pieces like Ronald Acuna Jr. for an extended period of time and hardly looking the part of a title contender for much of the year. 

But Brian Snitker’s squad did not lie down, winning a watered-down NL East with a 88-73 record by getting hot at the right time — and with a huge assist from some very shrewd trade deadline moves by general manager Alex Anthopoulos, who landed Eddie Rosario, Joc Pederson and Jorge Soler midseason. Those three all proved to be postseason heroes on Atlanta's run to a title. And even though the year is now 2025, two of them individuals are back proving their value in spring training. 

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Jorge Soler and Joc Pederson both homer in spring training, reminding Braves of their value 

Both Soler and Pederson hit some very memorable home runs in a Braves uniform. For Soler, a moonshot that seemingly sealed the World Series title in Houston became his calling card, while Pederson’s came earlier in October in a pinch. Each player has left Atlanta and bounced around the league in the years since, but they both turned back the clock on Monday.

In the Los Angeles Angels' matchup against the San Francisco Giants, Soler hit a deep fly ball to left field that left the stadium in a hurry. This was an absolute moonshot that drove in three of the Angels’ seven runs on Monday. 

Joc Pederson of the Texas Rangers also drove a pitch out of the ballpark to cap off a 9-run first inning against the Chicago White Sox.

Of course, time marches on and this duo in Atlanta is far in the past but it still has to sting a little bit for the Braves to see them be successful. Even after the addition of Jurickson Profar, the Braves would welcome more outfield depth at this point, especially if it simultaneously brings a power bat to their already dangerous order. Knowing that Soler and Pederson proved they can help bring a championship to a team, Atlanta can’t help but wonder what could have been if their shortened time with these two had been extended.