Atlanta Braves: Top Ten Players Heading Into 2021
By Seth Carter
7. Charlie Morton, SP
Charlie Morton signed a one-year deal with the Braves in the offseason after continuing his late-career breakout with the Tampa Bay Rays. After being originally drafted by the Braves in 2004, Morton broke out with the Astros in 2017.
Since 2017 he has gone 47-18 with a 3.34 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP. Morton has also pitched in 61.1 postseason innings, racking up 67 strikeouts and a 3.38 ERA.
6. Mike Soroka, SP
After finishing second in the Rookie of the Year voting in 2019, Soroka established himself as the ace of the staff heading into last season. In just his third start of the season, Soroka tore his achilles. He made his first spring appearance this past Tuesday. Soroka is a cerebral pitcher and the Braves’ top priority will be to make sure he’s healthy and ready to go for the stretch run.
5. Ozzie Albies, 2B
The 24-year-old second baseman has a career .279 batting average. If you can look past the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, Albies has only completed two full major-league seasons. He also has two 40-double seasons under his belt.
It is hard to find a hole in his game. He scores runs, has 20+ homer power, will steal double-digit bases, and drive in runs from the two-hole. He absolutely kills left-handed pitching and his defense is top-notch.
Since the beginning of the 2018 season, Ozzie Albies is third in defensive runs saved (Fangraphs) with 21.
4. Max Fried, SP
Max Fried assumed the role of the ace in 2020 when Soroka went down with his injury. The Braves staff was woefully shorthanded but Max Fried was the steady hand that was almost a lock for a “W” every five starts. He took a major leap forward in his progression as a pitcher and finished fifth in Cy Young voting. He even won a Gold Glove, to boot!