MLB executives could come to regret doubting Chris Sale this season

For as up and down as the Atlanta Braves' offense has been this year, the middle of their starting rotation has been as solid as a rock. Atlanta's two big free agency additions to rotation have flourished in the first two months of the season. While Chris Sale has been unhittable at times, Reynaldo Lopez simply does not surrender runs. Yet for whatever reason, people are fading them.

This is just par for the course for the rest of the bad and jealous general managers who have to deal with Alex Anthopoulos being on top of his game. He had faith in Sale getting it turned around after a few down years in Boston. He also believed that Lopez had what it took to be a starter in this league. Anthopoulos has been rewarded so far this season on his two major starting pitcher investments.

Since ESPN's Jeff Passan is not a fan of this team in the slighest, of course, he put out there that many MLB executives expect for Sale and Lopez to regress massively in the second half of the season. They might be right. Just look at what happened to Bryce Elder after last year's All-Star Game. What I don't think enough people realize is the passion in which these two men pitch with.

Here is to Sale, Lopez and the rest of the Braves proving all of their doubters once again this summer.

Chris Sale and Reynaldo Lopez look to prove their detractors oh so wrong

Look. I think it is hard to expect for Sale and Lopez to keep it up like this for the rest of the season. What they have done in the first third of the season is nothing to sneeze at. They have been two of the most prominent bright spots on a team that has massively disappointed from its lofty standard otherwise. What I do not think will happen is that both of them are going to fall off a cliff right away.

Anthopoulos may add another arm to lessen the strain these two back-end-of-the-rotation pitchers might be feeling. Of course, he does have a huge hole to fill in the outfield with Ronald Acuña Jr. out for the season with another torn ACL. To me, I think a regression could -- and probably will -- happen, but to the mean, I don't think so. Sale is finally pitching unencumbered. Lopez has so much left to prove.

For as turbulent as the first two months of the season has been, the Braves are still very much alive to make the postseason. I don't know if they will catch the Philadelphia Phillies in the division, but nobody in their right mind will want to play this team come October. All I know is this team will look slightly different over the course of the next two months. For now, I remain bullish on the two pitchers.

Just because anonymous executives Passan knows want to see Atlanta fail does not mean it will.