Uncustomed Heroes of 2022: Braves

 

It is insanely hard, in this current playoff climate, for there to be repeat World Series winners. The playoffs now last so long that it's impossible for the 'best teams' to hold onto momentum the entire way through. The era of the Yankees or Braves winning every year may be behind us.

That being said, if anybody was gonna go back-to-back, I thought it was gonna be the Braves.

The 2021 team was a feel good come to prominence that no one expected, and it was a season I knew they'd be able to build on. Sure enough, the Braves outdo the Mets in the 11th hour for the division, make smarter decisions, call up killer pieces like Spencer Strider and Michael Harris, and look like a more confident, more pronounced team. 

...and then they got trounced in the playoffs by the Phillies of all people. I sure do know how to call 'em.

The Braves have a lot to be proud of, though, and still probably have the strongest team in the NL East [sorry, Mets]. As much as some pieces are leaving in free agency, the big guns that make this team can't-miss baseball are tied up for most of the decade. 

Adam Duvall, fortunately, is one of the aforementioned free agents. Not that his season was bad, as he did nearly make the All-Star team, and he hit 12 homers, but in a shortened 86-game season he still struck out 101 times and hit .213. Duvall is still very much a one-dimensional power hitter who is good to you when he's surging, and this year he really wasn't surging. Then he got injured, missed the playoffs and spent the rest of his contract at home. As much as he helped the team in 2021, I doubt he'll be missed. 

2023 Prediction: A middle of the road team signs him to a 1-year deal, he does okay. The big years may be over.

Then you have Marcell Ozuna. After the battery charges, the Braves haven't really decided what to think about Ozuna, even if he did have a monstrous 2020 season as a DH. With the team growing up and more outfielders and power hitters settling in, there's less of a place on this team for someone like Ozuna, and despite that he's still signed until 2024. This season, in 124 games he hit 56 RBIs and 23 homers while still being phased out as much as the Braves could.

2023 Prediction: Similar numbers. I don't even think the Braves WANT Ozuna to have anymore good seasons. If he does, he'll likely be trade bait for somebody. 

After being a respectable, consistent closer for the Los Angeles Dodgers for 10 seasons, Kenley Jansen took the free agency period to find a new place to play, and landed in Atlanta, who...moved Will Smith over to make room. Jansen, despite a 3.38 ERA, is a rock in the ninth, and led the NL in saves with 41, bringing his career total to 391, bringing him within 10 of 400 overall, and bringing him to 8th overall on  the all-time saves list, and three under former Braves closer Craig Kimbrel. It's clear that Jansen is etching his name in the history books as a closer, and while he wasn't perfect for the Braves, he did exactly what they signed him to do- dominate the ninth by any means necessary.

2023 Prediction: Similar to this year, somebody signs him, he gives them the traditional Jansen material with another 30-40 saves, and we might be doing this for a bit. I dunno if anyone wants to give him a long-term deal.

A few favorable bullpen heroes for the Braves this year. First, Collin McHugh, former Astros starter, has become a pretty efficient bullpen arm since stints with the Red Sox and Rays. In 58 appearances he sported a 2.60 ERA and 75 strikeouts, in addition to notching a considerable amount more innings than most relievers due to his starting experience. McHugh was a much-needed long-man presence for a varied relief squad.

2023 Prediction: I'm not sure who is on the Braves' shortlist to close, or if they're getting anybody, but...guys, Collin McHugh might be working the ninth for some spots this year, and that's alright with me.

 

A.J. Minter, the perennial Braves bullpen favorite, had another strong year this year, with a 2.06 ERA, 94 Ks and 5 wins in 75 games. Minter is a workhorse and a club favorite, and the Braves are lucky to have him.

2023 Prediction: The way Minter has swung recently, 2023 is looking like a down season, but I still see big postseason moments coming his way.

Even with a packed rotation, the Braves gave a few starts to rookie Bryce Elder, who already looks like he's been living in the woods for some time. Elder impressed for the most part, with a 3.17 ERA and 47 Ks in 10 games, 9 of them starts. Ultimately I think he was just low on the depth chart, and once Anderson came back he was back down in the minors.

2023 Prediction: Either there is room for him, and he has a Kyle Wright-esque breakout, or there isn't and he's a big piece in a trade deadline deal. It kinda depends on whether or not Mike Soroka is gonna be a thing in 2023, and I'm honestly not sure if he will be.

This story you've already heard, but...for the purposes of this post. So Ozzie Albies gets injured, right? The Braves do what they did when Acuna was injured and bring up a rookie who's ready to take on MLB work to take his place for a bit. Like Michael Harris before him, Vaughn Grissom took to the majors like a trout to water, and hit .291 with 18 RBIs and 5 homers in 41 games. Mind you, the man is 21 years old. Yes, Albies eventually rejoined the Braves lineup and Grissom became a bench man, but ooooh boy is this kid valuable. The good news for Braves fans is he can play shortstop, and might have to considering who might be leaving town.

2023 Prediction: Vaughn Grissom will be the next Brave to be locked up for the foreseeable future. 

Onto the trade deadline acquisitions. Robbie Grossman was the most useful guy they got, as he'd been a durable, contact-hitting favorite in Detroit, and Oakland now that you mention it, for the last few years. Just a guy that's good to have around. In Atlanta, Grossman improved on a slow 2022 start and hit .217 with 30 hits and 22 RBIs in 46 games. He also posted some of his best defensive numbers since his 20s. 

2023 Prediction: Back to what he was doing before, signing with non-competitive teams and having great seasons for them.

In a very interesting move, the Braves traded Will Smith to Houston for Jake Odorizzi, as they were better off with rotation security than bullpen security. Now, we know how this went, considering Smith got his second consecutive World Series ring with the Astros, but Odo was no slouch either, striking out 40 in 10 games, despite an ERA over 5, and giving up 2 runs in 3 playoff innings. He's still a reliable depth piece at this point in his career.

2023 Prediction: Well, he's at the back half of a rotation led by Jacob deGrom. The odds are, if he stays healthy, and he probably will, he will get a ton of starts next year. I'd love for deGrom to stay healthy, we all would, but...I feel like Odo is gonna get a lot of work next year in Texas. A lot like Jordan Lyles and Kyle Gibson once Kluber got hurt.

And in the second baffling trade the Braves made this July, they shipped Jesse Chavez and Tucker Davidson over to LA to have Raisel Iglesias work the eighth...which is odd, because working the ninth is more his thing. I think it was just in case Jansen fell apart. Still, Iglesias was excellent as a Brave, allowing only 1 earned run in 36 innings, and striking out 30/100 batters. Iglesias is still scary when he's on, and his back half numbers gave the Braves some good feelings about their long term bullpen security.

2023 Predictions: I'm thinking Iglesias is just the Braves' new closer, so he's gonna be really good at that for a couple years.

Tomorrow, a few members of a Brewers team that were so close to a playoff run.

World Series Game 1: The Reluctant Long-Man

 

Even though the lineup may have been the stars of the Braves' Game 1 victory, and Jorge Soler and Adam Duvall certainly did have some star moments, the real heroes of the win may have been pitchers. Not only Charlie Morton, who fractured his fibula and then got three more outs WITH the broken leg [and apologized that he didn't do more], but A.J. Minter, who was used to coming in for a batter or an inning, and managing to work 2.2 innings, fulfilling the rest of the start, striking out 3 and getting the win, was the star of things yesterday. Minter has had some high points and low points in the Braves bullpen, but this season has been a high point, and this is just the culmination. He gave up a run, yes, but he also shut down a lineup that the Red Sox could not keep down last week. 

It's definitely a good sign to see that Minter, Luke Jackson, Tyler Matzek and Will Smith can keep this team at bay. With Morton out for the rest of the series, and starting options seeming limited to Ian Anderson, Max Fried and now Drew Smyly, knowing the bullpen can keep the Astros down is a good sign. It's also good to know that Riley and Rosario, some of the stars of the postseason so far, are still hot for this team.

A very good start for this World Series. PLEEEEEASE keep these good feelings going.

2020 Topps Final Edition: Cards #262-270

After today's post, we'll have 60 cards left in the 2020 Final Edition set. It's been quite a ride, and while we've still got a lot of big ones to get to, today we reach our third multiple of 90, and are third zero ending card with this 9-cards-at-a-time model. There are some intriguing ones this year, also in the story of 2021 as well, so let's get to 'em:

Card #262- Jose Martinez, Chicago Cubs 

Jose Martinez was having a decent season DHing in Tampa, on his way to a potential World Series appearance, and suddenly the Rays decided they didn't need him for the stretch and traded him to the bench-curious Cubs. In 10 games in Chicago, Martinez failed to make any progress, with no hits, 7 strikeouts, and a .000 batting average. He unsurprisingly did not make the postseason roster. The Mets signed him for 2020, then he got injured [they could really use him about now].

Card #263- A.J. Minter, Atlanta Braves

I have to imagine Topps used Minter's disappointing 2019 season, with a 7+ ERA in 36 games, as a reason not to include him in 2020, but even still, they missed out on commemorating a strong, important season for Minter. He only allowed 2 earned runs in 2020, with a 0.83 ERA in 22 innings, and struck out 24. He was also fairly unhittable during the postseason, going hitless in the first two playoff series and striking out 8 during the Dodgers series. Minter is taking a little longer to get to a low ERA this season, but he's still a crucial piece of the Braves' bullpen.

Card #264- Daniel Castano, Miami Marlins

Daniel Castano was one of two rookies brought into the Marlins' rotation in order to cover for two of the previous year's rookies that failed to deliver. Last year, Castano was better than his compatriot Trevor Rogers, with a 3.03 ERA and 12 Ks in 6 starts. Nothing too huge, and outdone by Rogers' high-K work in 2021, but a decent harbinger of what could become a steady career. Castano is incidentally currently in the minors, but has made 4 starts in 2021, and has lost 2 of them.

Card #265- Triston McKenzie, Cleveland Indians

Oh yeah, speaking of starry 2020 rookies that haven't worked as well in 2021. Triston McKenzie started his career with a bang in 2020, with a 10-K debut for the Indians, and 32 more over the course of the rest of the season. McKenzie was not the highest-tier arm in the rotation, and sort of evened out over time, but his first few starts were LETHAL. 2021 was a definite sophomore slump for McKenzie, and while he did notch 49 strikeouts so far, he's got a 6 ERA and is giving up way more walks and runs than last year. He's currently back in the minors. 

Card #266- Yohan Ramirez, Seattle Mariners

Man, we're 3 straight with 2020 rookies that aren't currently in the majors. My luck. Yohan Ramirez was an integral bullpen piece for the Mariners, in that he was the rare Seattle reliever that actually lasted past the end of August. Ramirez had a 2.61 ERA and 26 Ks in 16 relief innings, and notched 3 saves. It looked like the beginnings of a decent career, but with the recovery of the Mariners' pen, Ramirez had less room to succeed, and disappointed in 2 relief outings so far this year.

Card #267- Phil Gosselin, Philadelphia Phillies

Phil Gosselin was the Phillies makeshift Brad Miller in the season in between his Phils years there. Miller, if you'll recall, was a bench hero for the Phils in 2019, and is right back at that in 2021. So Phil Gosselin, right at the start of the season, starts doing exactly what Miller did- 12 RBIs in 39 games, the starting DH position, and a surprising amount of contact work. Yes, the numbers died down once the season kept going on, but Gosselin, or Goose as he was called, filled a valuable hole for Philly. Of course, Miller's back now, so Gosselin's now a bench player in Anaheim.

Card #268- Alex Verdugo ASG, Boston Red Sox

I may be wrong, but I believe that in this sim'd 2020 ASG I did up for this set, Alex Verdugo was the only Red Sox player to make the team. No Bogaerts, no Martinez...Dugie had an excellent breakout season in the outfield, would have qualified for the team on his own merits, and it helped that he was one of the few bright spots in a dark Boston season. Of course, now that the team's better, he fits in a lot more.

Card #269- Caleb Baragar, San Francisco Giants

At last, a 2020 rookie that's still on the major league roster somewhere. Caleb Baragar had a decent rookie year in relief, with a 4 ERA, 5 wins and 19 Ks. He's a sharp relief piece in a whole bullpen full of tricksters, and he's having a much better season in 2021 now that he actually has a better team to fight for.

Card #270- Tommy La Stella, Oakland Athletics

A year after making an all-star team for the Angels, Tommy La Stella had mellowed into a decent infield piece on a tanking roster. His .273 average with the Angels was alright, but once he was traded to the A's for Franklin Barreto he got even better, hitting .289 with 28 hits and 11 RBIs. He also got a lot of starting reps at 2nd, and was a starter during the playoffs, where he hit .293 with 8 hits and 2 RBIs. He seemed to be off to a nice start in SF before the injury, as well. 

Monday, we've got another 9 up at bat. A few very puzzling omissions in this one. 

Uncustomed Heroes of 2020: Braves

After 4 games, the Atlanta Braves had a 3-1 lead in the NLCS, and were inches away from taking out the Dodgers and advancing to the World Series...and then the Dodgers showed up.

The heartbreaking end to this season shouldn't define the Braves, as they as a unit had one of their best seasons in years, overcoming issues that had hampered them in the past, and bringing some truly fun performances to the forefront.

Despite an injury limiting him to only 29 games this year, Ozzie Albies still had a decent enough year, batting .271 with 19 RBIs and 6 homers, better numbers than Ender Inciarte could muster in 46 games. Albies was also sharp in the postseason, with 13 hits, 4 RBIs and 2 homers. Clearly still a big part of this Braves core.

2021 Prediction: Back to full health and full production. Will have a 200-hit year with 75 RBIs. 

Another comeback: after opting out of the season before summer camp, Nick Markakis suddenly got the bug, and wanted to play baseball this year. So he made the call to Brian Snikter, and for 37 games, Kakes was back in Atlanta. His numbers weren't terrific, as he only hit .254 with 33 hits and 15 RBIs, but he still had 8 postseason hits. This may not have been the starriest final season for Markakis, who's been with the Braves since 2015, but it was still a fine note to end his consistent Braves years on.

2021 Prediction: A goodwill one-year deal will allow Markakis one more full season of production before he retires at the end of the 2021 season.

After being the rookie of last June, Austin Riley had a second act prepared for 2020, but it was a little one-sided. Riley batted .239 with 19 RBIs and 8 home runs this year, another hint that maybe he's not gonna be the most well-rounded player on the team. At the very least, he had 4 RBIs, including a home run, in the postseason.

2021 Prediction: Will lose the starting third base gig halfway through the season and be relied upon as a bench bat into the playoffs. 

In a season where Mike Soroka, Cole Hamels and Tommy Milone succumbed to injuries, the depth of the starting rotation was one of the minor issues the Braves had to face. Kyle Wright was a sturdy solution, as he overcame a rocky start to become one of the more reliable starters in Atlanta this year. He truly came into his own in September, where he posted a 3.91 ERA, 2 wins and 18 strikeouts. He had one great postseason start in the NLDS and one truly terrible postseason start in the NLCS.

2021 Prediction: He finds the strike zone and doesn't look back, getting an ASG nod and some Cy Young votes.

One of the members of the 2019 trade deadline bullpen-packing squad, Shane Greene stayed away from the closing gig thanks to Mark Melancon, but still was mighty fine in relief, with a 2.60 ERA and 21 Ks in 27 innings. 

2021 Prediction: Whoever signs him does so with the full intention of making him the closer, and he rewards them with 35 saves. 

Tyler Matzek was the true comeback player of the Braves this year. After coming up as a starter in Colorado, then losing a few years to injuries, Matzek bopped around the independent leagues and the minors before the Braves took a chance on him. 2020 was the reward for that, as Matzek had a 2.79 ERA in 29 innings, with a scorching 43 strikeouts. He also got through the postseason with 14 Ks and only one earned run. 

2021 Prediction: Matzek's work in long relief will make the Braves flirt with giving him a rotation spot. However, the majority of his appearances in 2021 will be in relief, and they will be similar to this year's numbers.

Two seasons after being one of the few non-snakebitten relief options for the Braves, A.J. Minter struck back, only allowing 2 earned runs in 22 appearances, making for a minuscule .83 ERA. For this, Minter held the highest ERA in the bullpen.

2021 Prediction: Lower numbers, but will still be a part of the postseason squad. 

In the category of players who made their biggest impacts late in the season, Pablo Sandoval came to the team in a waiver deal, thanks to the Giants prioritizing Mauricio Dubon. People signing Panda now kinda know what they get- he's not who he used to be, but he still gives you some pop. He didn't get any hits at all this season, but it was nice to have him here for the sole purpose of seeing the Giants great on the Braves.

2021 Prediction: If anyone signs him, it'll be to a minor league deal, and he'll make a limited impact on the season. 

I'd be remiss if I didn't at least mention that Philadelphia icon Cole Hamels pitched in Atlanta this year. Yes, he only did so for one game amidst an injury-shortened year, but he's still a former All-Star and pitching giant who did play this year, even if it wasn't for much. He lasted 3.1 innings in his sole game of the season, and posted an 8.10 ERA. But he still wanted to be out there, and he still tried.

2021 Prediction: A return to form pitching for a non-competitor, and by the postseason, a trade will send him back home to Philly.

Bryse Wilson had a few starts during the regular season, but it was his postseason work that caught people's attention. In Game 4, he went mano e mano against one of the greatest pitchers in the game, Clayton Kershaw, and came out victorious, going six innings and only allowing one run, with 5 strikeouts to boot. He didn't have much else of note this season, but it definitely got people thinking about what he could do in a longer season.

2021 Prediction: He'll lose a spot in the rotation thanks to a tricky April, but will gain it back and stick with it come August.

And then there's the new rookie of note in Atlanta, Cristian Pache, who had 4 at-bats in the regular season but came alive in the postseason thanks to his skillful outfield play and his 4 RBIs in the NLCS. The Andruw Jones comparisons were heard far and wide, but something about this 21-year old intrigues me in a full season. 

2021 Prediction: NL Rookie of the Year.

Coming Tomorrow- They made the postseason by the skin of their teeth, and even if they were out of it a day or so later, they still had some intriguing stories to tell. 

Uncustomed Heroes of 2018: Braves

The 2018 Braves were a very fun team, with a ton of eccentricity, some heroes, some rookies, and some brilliant late-season pickup planning. Unfortunately, this playoff run seemed to go as far as every playoff attempt since 2002, despite brilliant showings all over.

Firstly...Anibal Sanchez had his best season since the Tigers were contenders, and was a solid third-starter for most of the year.

 Charlie Culberson was the team's Bench Player Extraordinaire this year, coming in at most positions, hitting fantastically off the bench, and essentially quarreling with Tommy La Stella over 'Bench Player of the Year 2018'. Which is an award I just made up but should exist.

Tyler Flowers spent the season as Atlanta's backup catcher, while Kurt Suzuki was starter. He's not as hot as he was a few years ago, but he's a solid backup. He'll be sharing plate time with Brian McCann next year, so...I'd expect a young catching prospect to cause him to be traded.

Brandon McCarthy spent the year being traded from one playoff contender to another, and had a relatively nice year, regardless of his usual injuries piling up. He's said that 2018 will be his last year, and with a fine career of being an unsung starter for countless teams, he's had a nice enough, if not exactly Cooperstown-worthy, career.

 After Arodys Vizcaino got injured, AJ Minter was a solid replacement in the ninth, doing a pretty nice job with closing games, and pitching well into the playoffs in relief. In the absence of, at the very least, Brad Brach, I expect him to get nice relief numbers in 2019.

 Mike Soroka had a fantastic debut start, and kept teams rolling for his first few starts, but unfortunately his season was halted with an injury. A shame, too, as he could have been a strong piece during the postseason. He'll be great for 2019, though.

And then there's Touki Toussaint, who, despite some fantastic material during the September stretch run, was unceremoniously left off the Braves' playoff roster. As good as he is, the Braves had trouble finding a place for him this year, and looking at a 2019 where Teheran, Newcomb, Folty, Gausman AND Soroka will all be back, I'm thinking Touki might be trade bait this year. I could be wrong, but it seems like that's what the GM might do here.

 Brad Brach was one of the many impressive pickups the Braves snagged during the stretch, and he delivered by being an impressive relief piece into the playoffs. He's a free agent this year, so I expect his Braves tenure to be limited, but you never know.

 Lucas Duda was an inspired choice, as he was a backup for the unstoppable Freddie Freeman, but in his few games in Atlanta he was fairly decent, though not to the caliber of his Mets numbers, or even his Rays numbers.

 But Duda was Hank Aaron compared to Adam Duvall, who was absolutely listless in several at-bats for the Braves, continuing his rotten luck from Cincinnati. He's still slated to be on the roster in 2019, so unless he gets his bat back, the Braves will be in trouble.

And then there's this heartwarming story, of a reliever who hadn't pitched since 2012, put up great numbers for the Rays, and then found his way back to the team that gave him a chance in the first place. With the Braves, Jonny Venters was able to reclaim his former glory, pitch into the postseason, and cement his fantastic comeback. I hope he's able to keep it going.

Coming Tomorrow- An even more impressive playoff team, this one coming so close to a World Series.