It’s all about the postseason for the Atlanta Braves now: it’s time we turn our attention and focus solely on the playoffs.
Today we are going to focus on who would be the Atlanta Braves “X” factors in the playoffs. Before we get to the pitcher and hitter we think could be those players, let’s first review the players considered.
Over the course of the next few weeks, you’re going to read and see Dansby Swanson’s name a lot. No doubt he is a player that needs to step up. If he doesn’t, he might lose some playing time to Adeiny Hechavarria perhaps?
So of course I could have included him here, but being realistic, the Atlanta Braves have played their best baseball of the year even with Dansby struggling. I just felt going with Dansby was too easy and we needed to dive a bit deeper than him.
[update: good choice with Swanson going 4-6 in KC last night with a ringing double to cap an excellent night… all hits up the middle or to the opposite field.]
The other bat I considered choosing was Freddie Freeman. Yes, the Freddie Freeman who I would vote for NL MVP even after he has mostly finished on a cold streak.
The obvious thing here is we need Freddie Freeman to be completely healthy when he takes first base next Thursday in game 1. However, if Freddie has truly been battling these bone spurs for a few years, then he knows how to handle them and he should be just fine with all of this rest.
So hopefully Freddie will be able to come out and play like he did in the Summer months for the Atlanta Braves and be the leader he is of this team.
I’m not going to give my pitcher away just yet but, the other pitcher I considered was Max Fried. I have no idea if the Atlanta Braves plan on starting him or using him out of the bullpen just yet. Either way, if he is on, then Fried can be a nasty weapon.
Hopefully he will be able to put this little bump in the road he has endured over his last few starts and be a guy that the Braves can depend on.