Atlanta Braves - The Covid-19 Years (2020-2029)  
   
 

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        Yr P W L   Yr P W L   Yr P W L               2020  
        2020 1 35 25   2023 1 104 58                         Decade  
        2021 1 88 73   2024 2 89 73                         Click  
        2022 1 101 61                                   on Logo  
                                                     
                                                       
   
  Titles:  Top Braves Players of the Twenty Twenties  
  2020 - Won Division; WC def Reds; NLDS def SD; NLCS Lost LA  
  2021 - Won Division; NLDS def Milw; NLCS def LA; WS def Hou Pitchers:  
  2022 - Won Division; NLDS Lost to Philly Max Fried (19.17) -   39  
  2023 - Won Division; NLDS lost to Philly Charlie Morton (8.5) - 28  
  2024 - Lost WC to SD Raisel Iglesias (5.46) - 20  
    Kyle Wright (2.87) -   17  
  BallPark: Spencer Strider (7.1) -  17  
  Turner Field Chris Sale (6.2) - 16  
    Ian Anderson (3.85) -   10  
  Team Name: Kenley Jansen (0.88) -   9  
  Braves Will Smith (0.97) -   9  
    Bryce Elder (3.81) -  6  
  Owner:  Drew Smyly (0.7) -  6  
  Liberty Media Reynaldo Lopez (0.50) -  5  
    Mark Melancon (0.99) -   4  
  General Managers:    
  Alex Anthopolous  Catchers:  
    Travis d'Arnaud (5.01) -   22  
  Managers: William Contreras (2.89) -  10  
  Brian Snitker  Sean Murphy (5.2) -  9  
       
  Hall of Famers: First Basemen:  
  None Matt Olson (14.84) -  32  
    Freddie Freeman (8.18) -   15  
    MVP:     
  2020 - Freddie Freeman  Second Basemen:  
  2023 - Ronald Acuna Ozzie Albies (11.37) -   28  
       
  Cy Young ShortStop:  
  2024 - Chris Sale Dansby Swanson (10.58) -   27  
    Orlando Arcia (2.75) - 11  
  Rookie of the Year:     
  2022 - Michael Harris Third Base:  
    Austin Riley (20.89) -   38  
  No Hitters:  
  None Outfield:  
    Ronald Acuna (16.75) -   47  
  Notable Events: Michael Harris (11.75) -  31  
    Marcell Ozuna (9.07) -  25  
  2020 - Atlanta comes into the decade on a high with ninety win seasons both in '18 Adam Duvall (1.99) -   6  
  and '19 winning the Division both times. The Braves make it three in a row in '20    
  with a 35-25 mark and this time they progress past the NLDS to the NLCS where Notable Events:  
  the lose in seven to eventual World Series Champions, the Dodgers. 2024 - Everybody wants to see LA - Atlanta in the NLCS. What an amazing   
    show that would be. Instead we got Phillies-Arizona and while entertaining,  
  □  Liberty Media has owned the Braves since 2007. The exception proves the rule. it was a major disappointment not to see the best.  
  The rule is that corporate owned teams never do well. The Braves are the exception.  
  Under Liberty Media, the Tomahawks have done very well.  The Offense (Monster circular lineup):  
     Atlanta scored a historic 199 runs over the league average last  
  □ 43 year old Alex Anthopolous is GM since 2017. He has presided over Atlanta's  year as they flat out bludgeoned the opposition. Matt Olson (54),  
  extreme success over the last three years. A Canadian, Anthopolous spent almost Ronald Acuna (41), Marcelll Ozuna (40) and Austin Riley (37)  
  all of his career in the Toronto Blue Jays organization prior to coming to the Braves. led a record breaking 307 home run barrage. The lowest HR total of any  
  Anthopolous took over for John Capolella who had the misfortune as being the one of the nine starters was Orlando Arcia with 17. Insane.  
  who got caught cheating when signing international free agents in the Carribean. The Braves lost Eddie Rosario to free agency, but they replaced him with  
  Capolella was made an example of and was thrown out of baseball. mega prospect Jared Kelenic in a trade with Seattle.  
    The rich get richer.  
  □  Brian Snitker is the field manager. He was hired in 2017 and has done nothing but □  C - Sean Murphy, 29, '23 trade from A's, 21-68-.251  
  win since coming to Atlanta. □  C - Travis d'Arnaud, 35, '19 FA from Dodgers, 11-39-.225   
    □  1B - Matt Olsen, 30, '22 trade from A's, 54-139-.283  
  2020 - The Braves rely on their hitting to win the Division. They score one more  □  2B - Ozzie Albies, 27, '13 IFA, 33-109-.280  
  run per game than the league average. Atlanta is led by young superstar  □  SS - Orlando Arcia, 29, '21 trade with Milwaukee, 17-65-.254   
  outfielder Ronald Acuna.  Their pitching actually gives up slightly □  3B - Austin Riley, 27, 1st round pick in '15, 37-97-.281  
  more runs than the league average. Losing stud Soroka to an achilles tear would □  OF - Ronald Acuna, 26, '14 IFA, 41-106-.337  
  have devastated most clubs, but the Braves organization, known for developing □  OF - Eddie Rosario, 27, '21 trade from Cleveland, 21-74-.255 - FA  
  great pitchers, was able to absorb the loss.  □  OF - Michael Harris, 23. '19 3rd round pick, 18-57-.293  
    □  OF - Marcell Ozuna, 33, '20 FA signed from Cards, 40-100-,274  
  2021 - Atlanta wins a weak Division. With the Nationals no longer competing,  □  OF - Jared Kelenic, 24, '24 Trade with Seattle, 11-49-.253  
  it's easy-peasy for Atlanta as Florida never contends, the Mets always screw things up    
  and Philly always disappoints. Pitchers:  
    Atlanta had a solid rotation last year led by Spencer Strider's breakout  
  2022 - A thirteen game uptick to 101 wins and another first place finish.  year. The Braves, looking to beef up their post season pitching have taken   
  It's the pitching as Atlanta gives up 47 less runs than in '21, but also the fact that they a flyer on veteran lefthander Chris Sale. If healthy, Sale could be a monster  
  are winning the close ones because they brought in Kenley Jansen to close. addition to the rotation. The area where the Braves are not strong is the  
  Offensively, the team production was almost identical to '21 bullpen depth. Not a weakness necessarily, but it's surprising that the  
    Braves didn't try to beef it up more for the post season run.  
  2023 - Atlanta gains three games in the standings to 104-58 but, once □ RHP Spencer Strider, 25, '20 4th round pick, 20-5 3.86  
  again, fall in the post season, this time to the Phillies in the NLDS. □ RHP Bryce Elder, 25, '20 5th round pick, 12-4 3.81   
  Reminiscent of the way things went for the Braves in the Nineties.  □ Charlie Morton, 40, '21 FA from Tampa, 14-12 3.64  
  The difference between the two being in the Nineties it was a historic □ LHP Max Fried, 30, '15 trade from SD, 8-1 2.55  
  pitching staff, currently it is a historic lineup that tied for the most □ LHP Chris Sale, 35, '24 FA from Boston, 6-5 4.30  
  single season home runs by a team with 307. □ RHP Kyle Wright, 27, '17 5th overall pick, 1-3 6.97  
    □ Closer Raisel Iglesias, 34, '22 trade with Anaheim, 5-4 2.75 33 saves   
     
    2025 - Injuries ruined the '24 season for the Braves. Superstar OF Ronald  
     Acuna went down with an injury. 3B Austin Riley also had his season  
    sabotaged by multiple injuries.  2B Ozzie Albies had injuries, as well.  
    In addition, C Sean Murphy forgot how to hit and 1B Matt Olson's  
     batting took a nosedive. On the mound, twenty game winner Spencer  
    Strider missed the season with injury. For most organizations losses  
    like that (most organizations don't have anywhere near that type of   
    talent to start with) would be devastating. As it turned out, Atlanta was  
    still able to win 89 games. It was a fifteen game drop and the Braves  
    missed the post season, but considering the setbacks, they did really   
    well. With all of the injured guys coming back, things should look rosey  
    in Atlanta again. To put this offensive nosedive into a little historical   
    perspective, the drop of 233 runs scored by Atlanta in '24 was the  
    fourth largest drop in baseball history. And to put it into current   
    perspective, three of the top ten year to year runs scored drops in major  
    league history occurred in 2024: Tampa 256; Braves 233; Texas 198  
     
    2025 Pitching (formidable):  
    Ace lefty Max Fried left for the Yankees in free agency. A big loss.   
    They also lost veteran Charlie Morton to the Orioles.  
    However, there is Cy Young winner Chris Sale, a return from injury by  
    twenty six year old Spencer Strider, Reynaldo Lopez and his 1.99 ERA  
    return, and twenty five year old righty Spencer Schwellenbach   
    who went 8-7 3.35 as a rookie pressed into service.The Braves rotation  
    will be fine. And the bullpen is sublime, led by thirty five year old  
    Raisel Iglesias 6-2 1.95 with 34 saves. Supporting Iglesias are a group  
    of effective relievers Pierce Johnson, Joe Jimenez, Dylan Lee, Aaron  
    Bummer, Grant Holmes and Jesse Chavez.  
     
    2025 Hitting (look for the offense to bounce back):  
    Superstar OF Ronald Acuna is back, stud 3B Austin Riley will be injury  
    free as will be 2B Ozzie Albies. DH Marcel Ozuna was 39 104 .302  
    and is still going strong at 34. 1B Matt Olson had an off year last year  
    but is only thirty one years old so figure him to bounce back.  
    OF Jurickson Profar, 32, 24 85 .280 FA from the Padres and  
    OF Bryan de la Cruz, 28, 21 68 .233 FA from the Pirates were added  
     to the outfield in the off season and will greatly help solidify the lineup.  
     C Sean Murphy's production falling off a cliff is a concern.  
    However, hot prospect C Drake Baldwin is waiting in the wings.