Three concerns that could doom the Atlanta Braves this Summer
The optimist believes the Atlanta Braves are the team to beat in the East. Will that matter?
It is truly exciting: a 66-day sprint to the pole in a major league baseball season like nothing that’s ever happened before, and our Atlanta Braves are poised to make good things happen.
Maybe.
While there are clear ways for that to happen and obvious reasons to believe it so, there are also multiple possible storm clouds on the horizon that forces a wave of the caution flag.
In short, there are three key aspects of this MLB season that could mean real problems for seeing a return to the playoffs for the Atlanta Braves. Let’s explain.
Braves Starting Pitching
This was supposed to be a lead-pipe cinch. The Atlanta Braves have been built around their pitching — particularly their starters. However…
All you really need to know here is that the Braves felt compelled to hire Jhoulys Chacin less than 80 hours before the start of the season. What does that tell us?
That’s not a knock against Chacin, exactly, but it is clear that the team is worried about how they are going to cover the early innings of ballgames right now.
Cole Hamels was supposed to be that torch for everyone to follow. He’s not available, and there’s now a real question about whether he ever will be.
Back in February, we were all wondering if the fifth starter would be chosen between Sean Newcomb, Kyle Wright, or Felix Hernandez. At the moment, Newcomb is now the number three guy, and that’s based on health more than performance.
At this point, slots 4 through… six??… could be a mash-up between a faltering Foltynewicz, Josh Tomlin, Kyle Wright, and the newly acquired Chacin.
All are capable major league pitchers, but you have to be a bit uneasy about this group against the kind of firepower offenses we’re going to see in the East this next couple of months.
All of that puts additional pressure on Mike Soroka and Max Fried to be essentially perfect, and that’s an awful load to put onto young pitchers.