Tag: So long Freddie Freeman

Takeaways From Braves’ First Road Trip:

After all the World Series celebrations came to a close, the Braves took their first road trip of the season. It was against two very good teams: the San Diego Padres and the Los Angelas Dodgers. Obviously, the most anxiously awaited series was the Braves and Dodgers because Atlanta would see Freddie Freeman for the first time in a different jersey. Watching the games, you could definitely tell there were emotions from both sides, but at the end of the day it’s baseball and things like this happen. Freddie Freeman hit two home runs against the Braves, and we got to feel the impact of having him on another team… he is definitely one tough batter to get out!

Atlanta split the series with the Padres 2-2 and lost the series 2-1 against the Dodgers. The Braves showed some improvement in areas, but they still need to figure out consistent hitting and get the starting rotation completely under control.

MY TAKEAWAYS:

  • Ian Anderson and Max Fried both showed significant improvement in their second starts. Ian pitched 5.2 innings, only allowed 2 hits, one run, had one walk, seven strikeouts, and he threw 89 pitches. This was an amazing bounce-back from his first outing. He was dominate on the mound and seemed much more comfortable out there.
  • Same goes for Max Fried. He looked completely different on the mound compared to his previous starts. He pitched seven SCORELESS innings, allowed only two hits, zero walks, and had seven strikeouts! His command of all his pitches was so much better and he looked more comfortable on the mound and was in control of the baseball, being able make his pitches and get the ball on the ground. It was very nice to see him AND Ian Anderson pitch like we know they are capable of doing!
  • Charle Morton. He did SO well in his first start of the season, but he got beat up big time on this road trip. Once by the Padres and by the Dodgers. It looks like he doesn’t have command of his pitches right now, and he’s trying to re-figure them out. Last season we got so used to the ace Charlie Morton, but if you remember… at the start of the last season he didn’t pitch fantastic. So maybe it just takes him some time to fully regain his mound presence and pitches.
  • The Atlanta Braves are a very powerful team and we know for a FACT that they can hit…they just can’t seem to get consecutive hits right now!!! Matt Olson is the only Braves player who can seem to get on base multiple at-bats in a row. Ozzie Albies has started to break through, he hit four home runs on the road trip and had multiple base hits, but other than him and Olson, everyone else is hit-or-miss (literally). The Braves can’t seem to get more than two wins in a row either, and now that pitching is starting to come together more…it’s going to be up to the offense to come through.

You might be saying to yourself, “The Braves have hit a lot of home runs this year…so why don’t they have a better record than 6-8?” Well, that’s because 15 out of the 16 home runs the Atlanta hitters have hit have been solo shots. The only home run hit with baserunners was a 2-run shot on opening day by Austin Riley. Other than that, the Braves are having a hard time hitting these home runs with people on base. And trust me, they have had plenty of times to score more runners, but in those moments, we seem to either strike out or hit into a double play.

I’d say the Braves biggest priority is hitting with runners on base. You can’t win ballgames without scoring, and it’s going to take more than a couple solo home runs to win a baseball game. All the teams in and out of the National League East have gotten better this year, and it is going to be a long ride if Atlanta can’t figure their hitting situation out.

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Although they still have some things to work out, I’m sure it won’t be too too long until they start being the Atlanta Braves team we are so used to seeing!

GO BRAVES!!

My Thoughts On The Braves Post-Lockout Acquisitions

This offseason was anything but normal. With the lockout, any and all deals with players and clubs got put on pause. This made things challenging. But now with the lockout over, and Spring Training in full swing, the Atlanta Braves have made some deals, trades, and significant changes.

The most significant of these deals came on March 14th, when the Braves traded four of their top prospects for first baseman, Matt Olson. This deal with the Oakland Athletics brought a close to the Freddie Freeman era with Atlanta. It came with a pretty cost, too. The four minor league prospects that the Braves organization traded were: Christian Pache, outfielder and the Braves number one prospect; Shea Langeliers, catcher and Braves number two prospect; Joey Estes, pitcher and Braves number thirteen prospect; and Ryan Cusick, pitcher and 24th pick out of the 2021 draft. All in all, it was a costly deal for the Braves, but they got their first baseman.

And, the very next day, March 15th, the Braves signed Matt Olson to an eight-year $168 million contract through the 2029 season, with a $20 million option for 2030. Like it or not Braves country, Matt Olson is going to be our first baseman for the foreseeable future. He has very good career stats and had an impressive 2021 season. Last year, his average was .271, he hit 39 home runs, and had 111 RBI’s with Oakland. He also made just six errors. Let’s hope he will have the same kind of season with the Braves.

The Braves also signed right-handed pitcher Collin McHugh to a two-year $10 million deal on March 15th. This signing will help bolster the already impressive Atlanta bullpen.

On March 16th, the Braves signed Eddie Rosario to a two-year $18 million deal with a 2024 option. Rosario played a huge role for Atlanta last postseason. He was NLCS MVP and had some huge hits. Not to mention, he made some crazy impressive plays…wether he meant to or not! Eddie will most likely play left-field for Atlanta, and with more practice, I think he could be a really good outfielder. It will just take time for him to get more comfortable out there. It will also be nice to have Rosario’s bat back in the lineup. It is safe to say that last season the baseball was FLYING off his bat. The teams that the Braves were facing couldn’t seem to get him out! This deal brings added depth and energy to the Atlanta Braves’ lineup, and makes them even stronger.

Also on March 16th, the Braves signed relief pitcher Tyler Thornburg to a one-year, $900,000 deal. Thornburg did not play in 2021 due to Tommy John surgery. With this deal from the Braves, it is safe to say he will try and prove that he can still be a good pitcher like he once was before surgery. His best season came six years ago in 2016 with the Milwaukee Brewers. He is 33 years old, and has a lot to prove this season with Atlanta.

And finally, On March 18th, the Braves signed relief pitcher Kenley Jansen to a one-year $16 million deal. In all honesty, this deal surprised me. Don’t get me wrong – Kenley Jansen is a very good closer. He came through time and time again for the L.A. Dodgers. But, before the Braves came to this deal with him, they were in talks with World Series MVP, Jorge Soler. That is what made the Jansen deal more surprising. Instead of signing Kenley Jansen, they could’ve signed Soler and made him their DH. But now Soler is now a Miami Marlin. All this to say, the signing of Kenley Jansen makes the Atlanta bullpen even deeper and more powerful than before.

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It is safe to say that there are quite a few new faces for the Atlanta Braves this year. But the crazy thing is that Matt Olson, Collin McHugh, and Tyler Thornburg all grew up in Georgia. They were also all Braves fans growing up, so this is most likely a treat for them to be able to play for their hometown team. Eddie Rosario quickly became a fan-favorite last season, so I’m sure he is happy to be back. And for Kenley Jansen, he is joining an amazing team with an amazing fan-base. Let’s just hope all these men will be as good as their careers say they can be, and that we know they are!

GO BRAVES!!