2019 Atlanta Braves would be very different from 1973 as 40/40/40 club members
More Balance
That brings us back to the 2019 Atlanta Braves. They aren’t dominating the team batting categories quite like their 1973 counterparts, but they are in the neighborhood for many of them:
- Team offensive WAR: 2nd in NL (to Dodgers)
- Runs scored: 2nd in NL
- Home Runs: 2nd in NL with 235 (tying the 2003 Braves for the franchise record).
- Walk rate: 3rd in NL (just below Milwaukee and LA)
- OBP: 3rd in league
- Runs created: 4th
- Batting Average: 5th
For the 2019 team, it begins with their own Big 3 – all of whom could certainly end up with just the 2nd 40/40/40 season for a team located 1100’ above sea level or less. But unlike their 1973 counterparts, it doesn’t end there.
Ozzie Albies is over 20 homers and has a WAR above 4. Dansby Swanson has 17 homers. The bench bats have been excellent. Out of a 25.1 offensive WAR thus far, the ‘big 3’ have 14.4 of that… 57% of the total.
The pitching of these 2019 is also solid (now) and looking better by the week. The 1973 team couldn’t say that. Many of their runs were spoiled.
This is simply not a 1-dimensional team like that 1973 club was. It’s balanced and has enough firepower to leap up and put multiple runs on the board at any time. That, of course, explains the NL East standings right now as these Braves are about to repeat as champions.
It’s true that Atlanta’s Fulton County stadium had the reputation of being a ‘launching pad.’ However, the Atlanta teams playing in that era also had some thunder in the lineup regardless of location (Aaron’s career was split between Milwaukee and Atlanta, though he hit 385 homers at home; 370 on the road).
It’s also true that the newest stadiums in the majors are smaller with shorter fences in many cases. We also know that the 2019 baseball has a particular proclivity to fly further.
Next. Now that we have a solid bullpen... 2020?. dark
If these 2019 Atlanta Braves do produce a new 40/40/40 trio, it will still be very much noteworthy… but don’t forget just how good those 1973 Braves were.