This story was excerpted from Mark Bowman’s Braves Beat publication. To learn the complete publication, click on right here. And subscribe to get it usually in your inbox.
ATLANTA — Listed here are some random ideas because the Braves rejoice their first collection win since taking two of three at Wrigley Discipline from Could 21-23:
1. The Braves spent $17 million to realize management of Jarred Kelenic for 5 seasons. They may get their cash’s price this 12 months, if Kelenic spends a good portion of this summer time compensating for the absence of Michael Harris II as a middle fielder and leadoff hitter.
Thus far, so good. Kelenic has proven us he’s a succesful defender and he has homered in each of the video games he has performed since filling Harris’ void within the leadoff function. He has hit .300 with a .920 OPS over his previous 15 video games. That’s actually encouraging.
Supervisor Brian Snitker seems like Ozzie Albies is his solely participant fitted to the two-hole. So count on to see Kelenic stay on the prime of the lineup.
2. We might ultimately hit some extent the place the Braves will be unable to beat the harm bug. However we’re not there but, even with the season-ending losses to Ronald Acuña Jr. and Spencer Strider, the month-plus absences of Sean Murphy and Harris, and the harm record stints skilled by Austin Riley and Albies.
If the Braves can get to the postseason with Max Fried, Chris Sale, López and Charlie Morton all wholesome, then why shouldn’t they nonetheless be a World Sequence contender? Yeah, you’d like to see Acuña in that lineup. However they gained a title with out him, and that membership did not function a lineup as sturdy because the injury-depleted one they’re presently utilizing.
3. Because the July 30 Commerce Deadline approaches, of us will probably be questioning if Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos can recreate the magic he produced in July 2021, when he used a pair buckets of balls and rosin luggage to accumulate Joc Pederson, Jorge Soler, Eddie Rosario and Adam Duvall. Anthopoulos primarily purchased a bunch of $1 scratch-off lottery tickets and gained with every of them.
Harris might get well from his strained left hamstring earlier than the Commerce Deadline. Regardless, it nonetheless feels just like the Braves’ most important want is likely to be to accumulate one outfielder.
4. Whereas conversing with a buddy a number of weeks in the past, I recommended the Braves pursue Jack Flaherty. Acuña was injured about 36 hours later and the main focus started to vary. With Harris out, Atlanta’s outfield selections are Kelenic, Duvall, Ramón Laureano, J.P. Martínez and Brian Anderson.
The place have you ever gone, Guillermo Heredia?
Even when Harris rejoins this combine, you continue to have a necessity for an outfielder. Duvall has carried out extra like a backup outfielder this 12 months. Laureano is nothing greater than an honest defender and Anderson’s finest days are lengthy behind him.
We will sit right here and record Tommy Pham and a bunch of different outfielders as potential targets. However by doing so, we’d be ignoring the truth that Anthopoulos all the time finally ends up touchdown Sale or anyone no one was actually fascinated with.
5. Talking of Sale, over the following few weeks, you and your folks may debate what number of Braves will probably be All-Stars this 12 months. Marcell Ozuna is a given. López leads MLB with a 1.69 ERA and Sale joins the Yankees’ Luis Gil as MLB’s solely pitchers to have a strikeout charge over 30 % and an ERA under 3.00. Fried (3.20) can be able to dropping his ERA under 3.00 earlier than alternatives are made.
It will be fairly outstanding to have three starters earn All-Star alternatives, even after shedding Strider.
