At this point, it is probably just best to accept that Atlanta Braves starter Bryce Elder is a dude until proven otherwise. With each passing start, Elder keeps passing all the tests that are set before him, and it doesn't look like luck. His stuff and command are strictly better, and while expecting him to maintain a 0.77 ERA all season isn't fair, it sure looks like Elder is the real deal, and the Braves have to be loving that.
That doesn't mean there won’t be rough patches, however, and the Braves' next opponent could pose some issues. While the Nationals are (probably) too young and too incomplete a roster to be anything more than a fringe Wild Card contender, they have a couple of players who are not only dangerous by themselves, but who also have given Elder fits in the past.
Braves' series opener against the Nationals is more of a test than fans think
Look, there is only so much one can hype up a 10-12 team that has also given up the second-most runs in all of baseball. The Nationals are certainly capable of beating Atlanta on any given night, but we aren't exactly talking about the Dodgers or the 1927 Yankees here.
However, what Washington does have going for them is having CJ Abrams and James Wood in their lineup. It is bad enough that Abrams has a 1.029 OPS so far, and Wood has been one of the hottest hitters in baseball the last couple of weeks. Unfortunately, those two are also Nationals guys who have had significant success against Elder in the past along with Luis Garcia Jr. who...is not off to a banner start to the season.
This is a new, improved version of Bryce Elder, so it is possible that past results just don't matter at all here. It doesn't hurt Atlanta's cause that they are up against Jake Irvin, who only has a 6.16 ERA, as well as the Nationals' bullpen, who are one of the worst in the league. Hopefully, Elder and the offense make this game a pretty breezy affair, although that is far from certain.
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