Before the season began, my expectations for the Braves were through the roof and for good reason. They’ve won a division pennant in each of the last three seasons and first baseman, Freddie Freeman, was awarded the NL MVP award just last year. Not to mention four Silver Sluggers on one roster.
Yet, after a full month of play in 2021, things aren’t looking as surefire as I had anticipated. With an overall record of 13-16, Atlanta sits at fourth place in the National League East and is a game and a half behind the first place Phillies. As it stands right now, the team has only a 44.8% chance to even make the playoffs, a significant decrease from the odds that were laid out before Opening Day.
While there is plenty of time for the franchise to get back on track and return to playoff form well before the start of the postseason, it is relatively alarming to see such struggles at the plate, and on the mound, especially so early on. So, what exactly is going on in the clubhouse to elicit such a drastic slump?
For one, it’s imperative to recall that last season was an odd year altogether. The shortened 60-game season awarded teams that were hitting their stride from the jump and penalized those who failed to get hot almost immediately. Fortunately for the Braves, they fell into the former category and that momentum carried them deep into the postseason.
If we look further into last season, however, we find that the first game of the “regular” season did not occur until mid July. It might seem absurd, but weather plays a vital role in player performance, especially with regards to how well they are able to hit the ball. And if the Braves were so hot last July, it’s not crazy to think they might find that same success around the same time this year.
Yes, it’s somewhat of a stretch, but crazier things have happened; baseball is one rollercoaster of a sport and in my opinion, it’s far too early to assume that this team is out of the hunt. Especially considering the dominant track record that has characterized recent years.
With regards to bats getting hot, it’s no secret that the Braves have been struggling in the batter’s box thus far. Just about every player on the team, subtract Riley and Acuña, has seen a severe drop in batting average this season. Freeman who hit .341 in 2020, good for third in the league, is at a mere .208 on the season and Ozuna, who was trailing just behind him at .338, has a sloppy .195 average as we speak.
The list is far more lengthy than those two players, but contextually, that demonstrates just how brutal the month of April was for the franchise’s most prominent athletes. Just a week ago, five of eight starters were batting in the .100s. Nonetheless, it’s naive to think that these guys won’t find their swing all season long and that those averages won’t climb, so let’s think positive.
Perhaps the biggest red flag right now is the pitching staff, who are giving up nearly five runs a game to the opposition. With a 4.87 ERA, the Braves are the sixth worst team in the MLB in that category. They’ve given up 42 home runs, more than 86% of the league, and when you don’t give the defense a chance to make a play on the ball, it’s hard to win games.
Max Fried, who was the Braves ace throughout last year, has an atrocious ERA of 11.45 and has only pitched a total of 11 innings in three starts. If you struggle with math, that translates to just 3 ⅔ innings per game… not exactly the type of production you hope for out of a starting pitcher. Ian Anderson and Huascar Ynoa are the only two starting pitchers in rotation with an ERA under the 4.0 mark, an issue that needs to be solved quickly.
When the offense isn’t firing on all cylinders, it becomes more important for the pitching staff to excel on the mound and right now that is far from the case. Despite a losing record and a tough introduction to the year, however, the outlook isn’t all negative.
Right fielder, Ronald Acuña Jr., was awarded with Player of the Month honors in the National League after posting 8 home runs, a .705 slugging percentage and 25 runs scored, all good for first in the conference. His batting average sits at a whopping .337 and he’s currently on pace to hit right around 60 bombs. Keep in mind, he did this while missing two games to injury.
Meanwhile, Huascar Ynoa, who has already started in six games, has a team-best 2.36 ERA over 34.1 innings. He’s doing more than just pitching though, with a .385 average at the plate and two home runs in only 13 at bats. Just last night he blasted a grand slam over the Washington Nationals and became the first Braves pitcher to homer in back-to-back games since 1961, the first ever to do so in Atlanta.
Braves starting PITCHER Huascar Ynoa hits a GRAND SLAM!
Of course, these two players can’t carry the team on their back all season long, no matter how well they perform. There is good reason to believe that those who are underperforming (basically the rest of the team) will step up in a matter of weeks, helping Atlanta return to form. Especially if we see Soroka step back on the rubber.
Stanley out.
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