(Music Pun Streak #12. You can go with Thompson Twins or Peter Gabriel here. Whichever works)
The Atlanta Braves were one of the best teams of 2018. The pitching was strong, the lineup was bombastic, and the heroes were among those of the year entirely. And yet...with only a few minor adjustments to this team, the Braves have found themselves...in third place.
...that's right. For the umpteenth time this decade, the Braves have found themselves in third, behind the Phillies and Mets. Because screw unpredictability.
The baffling part is that the Braves seem to kind of have their shit together still. The youth-based core of Dansby Swanson, Ronald Acuna and Ozzie Albies is still powering the team, Freddie Freeman is still an elite leader-type, Josh Donaldson is having his best numbers since the injury-plagued years, and Tyler Flowers and Charlie Culberson have been electric off the bench. There aren't many bad eggs in this lineup, and there aren't many signs that things need to be drastically changed.
The rotation is the real problem area, and I say this sadly after last year's strong core there. Sean Newcomb, a year post-ASG nod, has been demoted, Julio Teheran's ERA is high again, Folty is still shaking off the jitters post-injury, and the only trusted arms the Braves seem to have are Max Fried, Kevin Gausman and Mike Soroka, which is a very paltry three-man core for a rotation, not to diminish Fried's fastball. Also, for the second year in a row there's no concrete closer thanks to an injury to Arodys Vizcaino, so AJ Minter's been doing his best.
The messiness of the pitching unit is taking away from how well the lineup is doing, and it's that kind of disconnect that may cost the Braves a run at a division title this year. They're an alright team, and they can win some games, but unless they can figure out how to shore up the pitching, the Mets and Phillies will continue to outdo them.
...and for a team that had to endure a few too many seasons of that, it's got to be annoying.
Coming Tonight: A closer for a similarly-okay AL Central team.
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