Atlanta Braves: 2017 rankings, and team goals for 2018
Where to improve? That question might be better answered as ‘where not to improve?’ Several of Atlanta’s players need to make improvements to show they will be ready to compete in 2019.
While the Atlanta Braves near the completion date of their rebuild, 2018 is one more season to get through until the Braves are serious postseason contenders. Until then, there are some things that need to improve…
Pitching
The young pitchers are going to be the main focus of the 2018 season for the Atlanta Braves. How well the young pitchers perform will give Braves Country an outlook as to how successful Atlanta will be in 2019 and beyond.
The Atlanta Braves pitching staff needs to statistically improve:
- In 2017, Atlanta ranked 20th out of 30 teams in strikeouts with 1,258 K’s
- In 2017, Atlanta ranked 26th out of 30 teams in walks with 584 BB’s
- In 2017, Atlanta ranked 25th out of 30 teams in earned runs allowed with 756
- In 2017, Atlanta ranked 24th out of 30 teams in ERA with a team ERA of 4.72
What I found interesting while analyzing the BB rate and amount of earned runs allowed is that runs are being scored and walks are being given up at a very high rate in the National League East – not just by Atlanta:
- Ranked 26th in BB’s are the Atlanta Braves with 584
- Ranked 27th in BB’s are the New York Mets with 593
- Ranked 28th in BB’s are the Miami Marlins with 627
- Ranked 25th in earned runs allowed are the Atlanta Braves with 756
- Ranked 26th in earned runs allowed are the Miami Marlins with 772
- Ranked 28th in earned runs allowed are the New York Mets with 799
[Phillies were 18th in ERA; 17th in walk rate; Nats top 10 in both]
A realistic and motivational goal for the Braves pitching staff is to get their rankings out of the twenties and into the teens.
If the Braves pitching staff can lower their overall numbers with this group of talented and young pitchers, the Braves will be one step closer to bringing postseason baseball back to Atlanta. The development of the rotation in 2018 will be the primary indicator of long term, future success as compared to any individual player acquisitions such as the speculated Todd Frazier, Mike Moustakas, or J.T. Realmuto.