February is coming to a close, which means that Major League Baseball’s “Spring Training” is just days away. For most teams, this month-long preseason is a way to assess the development of young prospects and re-evaluate the former pitching rotation, batting lineup and overall depth chart.
While the contests hold no real value with regard to the regular season, Spring Training is a valuable tool for coaches and players alike to tweak their game before the onset of the season. It may be the difference between starting the year in a slump or coming out hot on Opening Day.
Nonetheless, I don’t watch Spring Training… I don’t even follow it if we’re being honest here. As far as I’m concerned, its only job is to get me excited for the upcoming year. And even though I haven’t seen any real game-play yet, I am already over the moon.
You see, a lot of people have a hard time following baseball, not because the rules are complicated or the game is too fast paced, but more so because the season is so daggum long. Meanwhile, for me, that’s an even better reason to stay engaged – one game can’t make or break you in this league. It’s all about longevity, endurance and consistency.
Along the same lines, I don’t feel bad about missing a game here or there. I mean seriously, it has to be damn near impossible to watch every single second of a 162 games season. They last three to four hours for God’s sake. Even the most devoted fans are going to have to pee a time or two.
What you just read, those last two paragraphs, was just my over complicated, tangent-driven way of saying that while baseball may not be the most exciting sport to watch, it is without a doubt the easiest to follow. I will stand by that as long as I live.
With the season fast-approaching, I have been reflecting on what the Braves were able to accomplish last season, no thanks to the Dodgers or COVID-19. In doing so, I thought it might be a good idea to make some bold predictions about what we will see this season and which players will have the largest impact on team success.
The Atlanta Braves will win a fourth consecutive National League East pennant.
I figured I’d start things off with a not-so-controversial take, considering that the Braves will be returning nearly every major starter from last year’s roster. Freeman and Acuña will headline the offense, alongside Marcell Ozuna and Ozzie Albies, with a strong pitching rotation that will return the Maple Maddux, Mike Soroka. The bullpen took a few hits in the offseason, as is customary, but they weren’t great to begin with so that shouldn’t discourage any fans. The key to winning baseball games is offense and if anyone in the league can score runs, it’s Atlanta’s top 4.
Austin Riley will emerge as the No. 1 option at third base, grab contract extension.
Third base has been a big question in the organization for several years now, with the coaching staff unable to decide between Riley, Camargo and Donaldson. Riley has shown flashes of his hitting ability on occasion but has failed to prove himself as the go to guy for the future. With a little help from HOFer, Chipper Jones, as well as some extra reps against major league talent, I am confident that we will see this young gun take over for good in due time. “Riley Rakes” might be making a return.
Cristian Pache will replace Gold-Glove outfielder Ender Inciarte, by year’s end.
The excitement surrounding young prospects is always hard to gauge. Is the player actually that talented, or are fans simply hopeful that the future of the organization is in good hands? In this case, it’s the former of the two. We only got to see Pache in a few Postseason games last year, and while his hitting wasn’t superb, the defense that this kid plays is unreal. Acuña certainly won’t be replaced and Ozuna just got re-signed to a 4-year, $64 million deal which leaves Inciarte on the cutting block. Don’t hate the player, hate the game?
There will be a Cy Young Award Winner on the mound.
I realize this is an extremely bold prediction to make, especially with how young the Braves’ rotation is right now, but I firmly believe that, as a unit, these guys will take a major step this year. Fried proved to be a reliable ace in the shortened season, Soroka is already on his way to being a franchise icon and Ian Anderson, alongside Bryce Wilson and a veteran Charlie Morton, are going to make some noise. A solid, reliable five-man rotation will take some pressure off of the aces and give these guys an opportunity to really sling it.
Chipper Jones will join the Atlanta Braves coaching staff full-time.
Out of all the players that I watched growing up, I have to say Chipper was the most memorable to put on a Braves uniform. The switch-hitter was the backbone of the franchise for what felt like two decades and solidified himself as one of the greatest to ever do it. He’s been away from the organization for quite some time, but his baseball expertise is still intact. Listed as a part-time hitting coach through Spring Training, it only makes sense for him to come back full-time and provide this young team with some much-needed leadership and wisdom. You can take Chipper away from the Braves but can’t take the Braves away from Chipper.
Obviously, these predictions are a little far-fetched and that’s primarily because I would love to see them happen. What kind of fan would I be if that wasn’t the case? For now, all I can do is sit back and wait for early April when the Braves take the field for the first time. If last year was any indicator of what’s in store, this is going to be an exciting year to “chop.”
Stanley out.
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