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Atlanta Braves Analysis: Q&A with GiraffeNeckMarc

By Moxon Glosson

1973 All-Stars: Outfielder Willie Mays #24 of the New York Mets talks with first baseman Hank Aaron #44 of the Atlanta Braves. (Photo by: John Vawter Collection/Diamond Images/Getty Images)
1973 All-Stars: Outfielder Willie Mays #24 of the New York Mets talks with first baseman Hank Aaron #44 of the Atlanta Braves. (Photo by: John Vawter Collection/Diamond Images/Getty Images) /
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Will Smith celebrates after beating his new team - the Atlanta Braves - last September. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
Will Smith celebrates after beating his new team – the Atlanta Braves – last September. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images) /

Will Smith’s Stuff

Question: You’ve recently been very high on Will Smith. Why do you see him as a good acquisition and why do you think he will do well?

Marc: What I love about Will Smith is [the fact that] he is a left-handed pitcher who can get righties out. Now he’s not as good against righties as he is against lefties. He’s definitely better lefty-lefty.

But the thing that sticks out to me big time is his strikeouts. He strikes out a ton of guys. The last two years, he’s had career highs in K/9, which I think is definitely a big step forward for him.

And he has cut down on the walks, too. He was normally a 4 BB/9 kind of guy and now he’s hovering right around that 2.5 range… I just love his stuff.

I think he’s one of the better left-handed relievers in the game, and I feel like people leave him out of the top ten a lot which is insane. He’s played for the Giants and the Brewers and the Royals, so he goes under the radar, but now, playing in high-leverage games for the Braves, I fully expect everyone to realize “oh, this guy’s really good.”

Question: Will you take the over or under on 97 wins (their win total last year in the regular season) for the Braves in a 162-game season?

Marc: Ooo… that’s a really good number. 97… I think… gosh. Over-under. I’m gonna say under, but not a big under. I’m gonna say it will be 95-98 [wins]. So I will take the under just because there’s more numbers under than over for that range.

But 97 is probably right where I would peg them. I don’t think anyone in the East is gonna win 100.

Question: Who do you see being the starting third baseman for the Braves by the end of the season, should they not acquire someone before the trade deadline? Johan Camargo or Austin Riley?

Marc: I like Austin Riley more just because he is a little younger… that power he has, it’s pretty raw.

And I think, while he’s probably not a great defensive third baseman, I think that’s something that you could learn to just be good enough, and if he hits how they expect him to hit, that’s another bat in that lineup that just makes it so deep and so dangerous…

You would have Acuña, Albies, Freeman, you now throw Austin Riley into the mix… that’s a deep lineup right there.

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