6 reasons the Atlanta Braves will miss the playoffs

Injuries may never stop

If there's another theme besides regression of power for the 2024 season, it's most definitely the injury bug. Lately, it feels like the Braves can't go more than a week without suffering an injury to one of their starters.

Then you start to talk about WHO the Braves have lost. Truthfully, most teams would be underwater if they lost the caliber of players Atlanta has. Thankfully, the Braves played well enough in April to establish a cushion for times like these.

First, Atlanta lost their staff ace Spencer Strider for the year. Then just a month later the reigning NL MVP went down with a season-ending ACL injury. Add in IL stints for guys like Ozzie Albies, Sean Murphy, Michael Harris II, Max Fried, A.J. Minter, Pierce Johnson, and much, much more, you can see why 2024 has constantly felt like an uphill battle.

No pieces to swing a big trade

Despite how hopeless a season can feel, we've seen this movie before. The 2021 Braves felt like a lost cause in early July. However, the stars finally picked it up and Alex Anthopoulos pulled the trade deadline of the century. Many fans are hopeful for a repeat, but sadly it may not be in the cards.

In 2021, MLB was still under the five-team per-league playoff format. Now that the expanded playoffs are here, the trade deadline offers fewer selling teams to trade with. Thus shrinking the number of players available and driving their prices up.

Sadly, the Braves simply don't have the prospects to swing a big trade at this year's deadline. They have a bunch of fast-rising arms, and an intriguing catching prospect in Drake Baldwin, but that isn't enough to win bidding wars for the top trade deadline players.

Instead, Anthopoulos will have to recreate 2021 with the marginal trade acquisitions and hope they play better down the stretch. This year's versions of Jorge Soler, Joc Pederson, and Eddie Rosario may very well be out there. Unfortunately, despite his amazing track record, it's not likely that Anthopoulos will hit on all three once again.

Heavyweights remain on the schedule

The worst thing about the Braves recent poor play is that it feels as if they stand no chance against the better teams in baseball. And unfortunately for them, Atlanta still has quite a bit of games with some of baseball's best.

As you know the Phillies have been the best team in baseball for the majority of the season, and Atlanta still has more than a few games against their NL East rival. In total, the Braves have seven games with the mighty Phillies.

On top of that, the Braves will host the Dodgers for a four-game set in September, and they have two series left with the NL Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers. The road doesn't get any easier for the Braves, and these tough matchups could push Atlanta out of the postseason picture.

Braves can't get out of their own way

Finally, we arrive at the biggest reason that would cause Atlanta to miss the playoffs, themselves. The Braves simply can't quit beating themselves right now. Last night's extra-innings baserunning blunder and misplay in the outfield was the epitome of how things have been going for Atlanta.

Just when it looks like they are ready to flip the switch, the 2024 Braves do something beyond head-scratching. As a fan, many of us have kept telling ourselves this was just a short-time snag along the journey. But then the Braves hit a new rock bottom. Each and every week.

It's not something any of us expected, and that's why we keep telling ourselves it can still turn around. And while it's not something we want to admit, sometimes it just simply not your year. The 2024 Braves still have time to right the ship, but at this point, not many fans are expecting they will.

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