Atlanta Braves given 18.6% chance to make playoffs
By Brad Rowland
If you examine the internet for any length of time, you will find plenty of ammunition to fuel the belief that the 2015 Atlanta Braves won’t be very good on the field. The relative level of pending disaster is up for debate, but with ESPN picking the team 28th out of 30 MLB teams and various outlets following that projection closely, expectations are low.
However, a projection system from NumberFire indicates that some of the “experts” may be a bit low on the Braves. In fairness, NumberFire’s preseason odds to win the World Series place Atlanta with just a 0.5% chance at a title, but in the same breath, the Braves are given a 79-83 record projection with a reasonable 18.6% chance to make a run to the playoffs.
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That percentage does include the possibility of the Atlanta Braves earned a berth in the Wild Card play-in game, but even if that is the case, it would be a sound over-performance given the perception of the roster. There is a scenario, namely one that includes a hitting resurgence from the likes of B.J. Upton and Andrelton Simmons, where the 2015 edition could outperform the 2014 offense, but even if that happens, the pitching (starting and bullpen) would have to produce at an elite level for this to be a legitimate playoff team.
What do you think of this projection? Does it seem reasonable? Let us know in the comments and stay tuned to ATL All Day throughout the 2015 season as the Atlanta Braves aim to prove the pundits wrong.