Without a doubt, it is fair to say that not many people ever gave this Atlanta Braves team a chance to make it to the World Series.
Sure, before the season began some people penciled us in, but it seemed like more of a fan thing to do and it was never about the Atlanta Braves as much as it was about the Los Angeles Dodgers repeating.
Then for what feels like the seventh year in a row, the Braves opened the season in Philadelphia and most of the time we lose those games. It was no different this year as the Atlanta Braves started the season off 0-4. They followed that by going on a 4-game win streak only to follow that with 4 straight losses.
Not long after the season, it was learned that Mike Soroka would not be coming back this year and while the Atlanta Braves could not expect much from him, it was still a blow to see him re-aggravate the injury. Then your starting catcher Travis d’Arnaud tears a ligament in his thumb and the Atlanta Braves simply can’t put together anything and are just humming along around the .500 mark.
The Phillies and Mets will surely look back to May and June and thank “what if?” Both teams were sitting there and truthfully had the chance to bury us and put us away, but as we all know, they failed to do so. They left the door open and eventually the Atlanta Braves kicked it in.
The second part of the first-team outfield went out in late May when Marcell Ozuna went out with finger issues but we all know more problems would crop up with him and who knows where we are with that? This comes after Cristian Pache could simply never get it going and was eventually sent down.
June was more of the same as the Braves just never could get much of anything going. And then we fast forward into July, which is where everything turns.
In Miami, Ronald Acuna goes down with an injury and it was fair to wonder where we go from here? Do the Braves sit back and punt or throw a hail mary and try? Luckily, we all know they went for it and acquired the entire third-team outfield, which have all become folk heroes in Atlanta these days.
The end of Summer is where the Atlanta Braves turned it on and where the Mets and Phillies collapsed, allowing the Braves to claim the East again.
Starting in October, the Braves have played their best ball of the year and it has come at the right time. No one gave them a chance against the Brewers, nor the Dodgers, yet here we are.
People are starting to recognize us and the Braves are starting to get more respect. Hopefully we continue to shock the world and win the World Series now that we are here.