Charles LeClaire – USA TODAY Sports
If you’re an Atlanta Braves fan, it’s quite possible the words aneurysm and heart attack are part of your vocabulary in terms of the physical and mental anguish you experienced last season.
That same agony probably spilled over immediately when you found out fan favorite Jason Heyward was shipped out of town to the St. Louis Cardinals where he will more than likely have a Hall of Fame career, which is typical of former Braves players. With everything that has gone on this offseason, fans are curious whether the Braves can actually compete this year.
The short answer to this is, nobody knows. However, while I may be in the minority, I believe it is plausible that the Braves can surprise the MLB and not be the laughingstock they have been predicted of being this season. The reason why I feel this way is because they have a strong starting rotation and are being seriously overlooked.
Last season, the Braves had one of the best pitching staffs in baseball and their performance allowed them to be in position to win many ball games in which their inefficient offense was unable to capitalize on.
The Braves return three out of the five starters of that unit with their ace, Julio Teheran, still expected to be the driving force. In addition to him, the Braves will have Alex Wood, who filled in brilliantly for the Braves last season finishing with a 2.78 ERA. Mike Minor, who struggled last season is said to be back to form and if that is the case, he will give the Braves a third/fourth starter with number one type production. Rounding out the back end will be newcomer Shelby Miller who was acquired in the Heyward trade. The fifth spot is still up for debate and a few veterans and rookies will compete this spring to battle for that spot.
As it relates to the Braves being overlooked this year, if you read any baseball publication, the overwhelming majority feels this year is merely a rebuilding year that will be filled with headaches and stomach ulcers. However, if you ask President of Baseball Operations John Hart, he believes this notion to be premature and is confident this ball club will be in the position to contend when it’s all said and done.
I’ll be honest, when I first looked at the fire sale and overhaul of players leaving the Braves, such as Justin Upton and Evan Gattis, I was sure this would be a down year for the Braves. Then, I took a step back and saw exactly what Hart was putting together and the possibilities of what this team could be had me intrigued.
What the Braves now have is a group of veterans such as A.J. Pierzynski, Jonny Gomes, Nick Markakis and others who know what it takes to win, and two of them have World Series rings to prove it. The lack of on-field leadership was a glaring problem last season and it manifested itself in a late season collapse for the ages, in which the one time division leading Braves finished the season with a losing record and failed to make the postseason one year removed from a division title.
Along with these veterans, the Braves acquired some quality prospects that not only address the position needs, but also the other areas that have gone unaddressed over the years such as speed and a quality leadoff hitter.
As it stands now, the Braves should at least have players they can piece together to fit into place on any given night. The word platoon will be heard quite often this year, but an all hands on deck approach may be what it takes to right the ship that sank towards the end of last season.
Therefore, while the naysayers are predicting a monumental epic fail of a season for the Braves, I believe the team has the makings of an exciting team to watch. I won’t predict a postseason appearance, but I won’t ultimately dismiss it either.
It won’t be pretty, but the Braves just may earn some respect this season.
Brandon Williams is an Atlanta Braves writer for www.RantSports.com. You can follow him on Twitter, @BfreshAlum4UA, “Like” him on Facebook, or add him to your network on Google.
