The weather is absolutely beginning to warm up as we ease into baseball season. We are just a week removed from when pitchers and catchers first reported to the Atlanta Braves spring training facility and there already has been some interesting developments with the five-time defending NL East division champs.
The starting rotation already has seen a couple setbacks with Kyle Wright’s shoulder and Mike Soroka’s hamstring forcing them both to delay the start to their season, although partly due to an abundance of caution on the Braves end. But the show does go on and now that every player for our Atlanta Braves has reported to camp out in North Port, Florida let’s take a look at some of the beautiful sights and sounds that make our baseball hearts warm and tingly thanks to the amazing clips from Braves media members Grant McAuley and Justin Toscano.
Ever since the opening of CoolToday Park and the new facilities that accompanied it, you hear nothing but rave reviews from players on the condition they come to work in everyday. Those high praises are no mistake, as every member of the Braves grounds crew does an amazing job making sure the field is in top-notch shape.
Our beloved Ron Washington is famous for his infield instruction. There are no off days for Washington and the Braves infielders. Here we see Wash setting the parameter for how he wants the infield defense to look this season.
Runner-up for the 2022 Cy Young, Max Fried, is seen getting comfortable with his new battery mate, Sean Murphy. This impressive duo seems to pose a serious problem for any hitter lucky enough to reach first base this season.
Star outfielder, Ronald Acuña Jr, is already having a great time with zone recognition, as him and first base coach Eric Young Sr. go back and forth on what is a ball and a strike.
A couple pitchers got the chance to throw live BP to some hitters this afternoon. Max gets the best of Ronald in there first encounter here. However, the story would change once these two matched up for the second time.
Not many sounds in this world are on the level of a baseball popping in a catcher’s mitt. When Spencer Strider throws the baseball, that sound has a bit more pop than the rest. Here we see Strider getting one of his many strikeouts this afternoon on Ozzie Albies.
Max Fried doesn’t allow much hard contact. But whatever Ronald did to adjust after their first matchup, definitely worked. Hopefully this is a sign of things to come more so for Ronald rather than our ace Max.
Today was just the first of many opportunities fans will get a chance to see of some of the Braves stars that are working hard in North Port. Let’s keep hoping for more clips like the ones we got today and a clean bill of health for everyone as we make our way through Braves spring training. Stay tapped into the site here as our staff will have all the latest rumblings, surrounding all the position battles and new developments around the Atlanta Braves professional baseball club.