2021: The Boys of October
The season fans will never forget. 2021 marked the return of a powerhouse as the Atlanta Braves brought home the first World Series title in almost 3 decades.
2021 started off rough for the Braves as they struggled to get over the .500 mark but all of that changed after the trade deadline. The pitching was up and down this season but ended up being one of the biggest strengths of the team in the postseason.
Will Smith, who had struggled some this season, recorded the final out as the Braves clinched their 4th straight NL East title. He was also incredible for the Braves in the playoffs.
However, there was the loss of a major piece to the puzzle in 2021 when Ronald Acuna Jr. went down for the season with a knee injury.
Alex Anthopoulos responded by trading for Joc Pederson to fill the gap of missing Ronald. He showed his team that he wasn't giving up on the season and would do what he needed to do to help the team win.
Well... he did even more by adding 3 more outfielders at the trade deadline that would become very important pieces.
Those 3 outfielders? Adam Duvall, Jorge Soler, and Eddie Rosario.
Every single player brought something special in the postseason and had moments that were unforgettable. Eddie Rosario became a hero in the postseason after missing most of the season with injury. He was acquired while the Braves while being injured and fans were treated to an incredible performance in the playoffs.
Jorge Soler won MVP of the World Series as he led off the series with a homer and hit a massive homer to kick things off in Game 6 which was the moment Atlanta won their first World Series in so many years.
Joc Pederson was a massive boost to the clubhouse as he brought tons of energy and declared the Braves "might be those..." Well, I'll let you finish the phrase. He had some big hits in the playoffs for Atlanta and I couldn't imagine him not being there during this postseason run.
Adam Duvall was a familiar face for Atlanta and it was nice to see him back in the fold. He had some major hits during the postseason as well.
Had Alex Anthopoulos not made these moves, there's a chance the Braves may not have won the World Series. Luckily, fans don't have to imagine what that would be like since the moves were made.
The Braves finally conquered beating their long-time foe the Dodgers and handled the Houston Astros with relative ease in the World Series. There were so many great moments this year but winning the World Series is the highlight.