Are the Atlanta Braves the Team of Destiny or are they Doomed for Failure? By: Hank Indictor
With 103 wins and counting (as of this writing), the Atlanta Braves have officially clinched the best regular season record and baseball plus home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. This squad is two years removed from winning their first World Series since '95 and coming off their 2nd year in a row with at least 100 wins. To say that this team is historically good would be the understatement of the year. However, as we've seen in years past, regular-season success means nothing. Braves fans who lived through the 90's know this all too well. It's all about how you do in the playoffs. If the 2023 Atlanta Braves want even to be considered in the discussion for the greatest team of all time, they must finish the job.
Whoever faces the Atlanta Braves is going to have their hands full. There's no two ways about it. First, we can only discuss the Braves after discussing their lineup. And my first question is, how does anyone pitch to them? The top 5 hitters (Ronald Acuña, Ozzie Albies, Austin Riley, Matt Olson, and Marcell Ozuna) all have over 30 home runs! In other words, pick your poison. Ronald Acuña, in particular, is not only the catalyst of this lineup but also the founding member of the 40-70 club. These numbers combine a Barry Bonds and Rickey Henderson-like season. As great as Mookie Betts has been this season, there's no doubt in my mind that Acuña is the MVP, after all their home run and RBI totals are similar. It's the stolen bases that set both of them apart. And even tho Mookie has more RBIs than Acuña, the fact that you have a lead-off hitter reaching the century mark in that category is impressive in and of itself. And then you also have Matt Olson, who broke Andruw Jones' single-season team home run record and Hank Aaron's single-season team RBI record as well! And one or both of these guys may see good pitches to hit in the postseason because this lineup is the literal definition of a land mine. However, let's not act like things are all peaches and cream. After all, there is one thing that can derail this team. The dreaded injury bug!
What was once a deep area has now taken multiple blows within the last week of the season. Pitchers Max Fried and Charlie Morton have landed on the IL due to a blister and a sprained finger, respectively. The good news for Fried is that he will at least get to pitch in the NLDS. However, what becomes a concern is that it will be his first start in a few weeks. Remember, the Braves will have an extra week off because they aren't in the Wild Card Round, and they have to hope that Fried doesn't show any signs of rust in his first start. The same cannot be said for Charlie Morton, on the other hand, as he isn't expected to be back until the NLCS (that's assuming they don't get ambushed by the Phillies again or maybe the Diamondbacks), thus making Cy Young candidate Spencer Strider's Game 1 start vital. And after Fried, they have to worry about Bruce Elder and Kyle Wright, who have experienced their fair share of struggles as of late.
I've been very bullish on the Braves all season long and reasonably so. They've built their team correctly, and their core will be together for years! However, a wise former Braves announcer once said, "Well, Suzyn, you can't predict baseball." Right now, the Braves are the definition of Schrödinger's Cat. They've been dominant since the start of the season, but they haven't played a meaningful game since late July or August. So we don't know whether or not they're alive or dead come October. They've coasted through September and now face the test once they get into the postseason. Time will tell how history remembers this team. Either they'll be remembered for the wrong reasons or have the potential to be a future dynasty.