A Bad Season Makes The Next Year Look Good
When a Major League Baseball season begins, there is no telling what is in store for a team over the next six months, which every team hopes will extend for a seventh month into the postseason. Some seasons start promising and fade, others start bad and something changes to turn a bad season good, while others are just good, or bad, all year long.
If a team is having a bad season as September rolls around, there is not much to look forward to anymore, other than the next year and offseason signings.
The Atlanta Braves are sitting in that position halfway through September. The 2018 season is the positive right now, as 2017 has not been exactly what the Braves wanted as we sit at 65-78.
More from Braves News
- Atlanta Braves 2012 Prospect Review: Joey Terdoslavich
- Braves News: Braves sign Fuentes, Andruw’s HOF candidacy, more
- The Weakest Braves Homers Since 2015
- Atlanta Braves Sign Joshua Fuentes to Minor League Deal
- Braves News: New Year’s Eve comes with several questions about the 2023 Braves
A shot at the All-Star break to possibly make a postseason run, the second half of the season for the Braves has been forgettable. However, with the schedule for 2018 release yesterday, Tuesday, 2018 could be a different story for the Braves.
What About 2018?
March 29, 2018 is the date the Braves are looking forward to. That date is the day the Braves will open the 2018 Major League Baseball campaign at SunTrust Park against the Philadelphia Phillies.
Although opening the campaign at home, the Braves face a long road trip in April. After six games at home, the Braves head to the road. Over the next twenty-six games, the Braves play nineteen on the road. In their first thirty-two games, only thirteen will be at home. But, that important opening day in SunTrust is what matters.
A downfall in the 2018 schedule, the Braves have to face the American League East in interleague play. Yes, that means facing the powerhouse Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees. The Braves have six games against the Red Sox, three at home and three on the road, while the Braves only have to face the Yankees once for three games on road.
Hopefully, the Braves will be fighting for a division title come September 2018 and if it does come down to the last series, the Braves will face a division rival in the Philadelphia Phillies, but on the road.
My projected 2018 lineup…
1. Ender Inciarte CF
2. Ozzie Albies 2B
3. Freddie Freeman 1B
4. Matt Kemp LF
5. Tyler Flowers C
6. Ronald Acuna RF
7. Johan Camargo 3B
8. Dansby Swanson SS
9. Pitchers spot
Next: Morning Chop: more Front Office moves
Although 2017 might not have turned out the way the Braves wanted, 2018 could possibly be a year for change.