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Atlanta Braves: Time To Give The Team A Chance

By Wesley Wilcox

Apr 17, 2017; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Braves shortstop Dansby Swanson (7) acknowledges fans after a walk-off single against the San Diego Padres at SunTrust Park. The Braves defeated the Padres 5-4. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 17, 2017; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Braves shortstop Dansby Swanson (7) acknowledges fans after a walk-off single against the San Diego Padres at SunTrust Park. The Braves defeated the Padres 5-4. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Atlanta Braves are closing in on .500 and are starting to look like a team that could compete. Is it time to give this Atlanta Braves team a chance?

Okay Braves Country don’t look now, but the Braves are sitting 2 games below .500. Yes, the team that no one expected to be competing this season is doing just that winning their last three series, and narrowly defeating the NL Central leading Milwaukee Brewers Friday night 5-4.

I’ll admit, I myself have even been critical of this team from the get go, but facts don’t lie. Julio Teheran and the pitching rotation have pitched incredible in the last few weeks. After losing 3 of 4 to the New York Mets at home, the Braves have defeated the Miami Marlins, Washington Nationals, and took 3 of 4 from the San Francisco Giants, and come on when was the last time the Braves won 3 out of 4 against the Giants.

In this recent streak of great baseball the Braves have amassed an 8-3 record in their last 11, and are currently riding a 3 game winning streak. Ladies and gentleman this squad by no means has an easy schedule before the All Star Break, but let’s just day dream for a second.

Heading into Saturday’s contest against the Brewers, there are currently four starters averaging over a .300 batting average. Yeah, you read that correctly, and this isn’t factoring in a potential fifth and sixth player averaging over .300. Matt Adams as of today has a .299 batting average, and when Freddie Freeman returns to the lineup in the next couple weeks he himself is averaging .341.

This is a very dangerous Atlanta Braves team, and the beauty of baseball is that stats don’t typically lie. The biggest question hovering over the teams potential of making a postseason push is the bullpen. Throughout the season the bullpen has continuously blown leads in the later innings including earlier this week against the Giants.

The trade deadline is coming up quickly, and for the first time in what seems forever the front office has a chance to do something special with this team. The bats are red hot for the Braves as they have been all season, but pitching is the uncertainty. Simply put, the  NL East race is still wide open even with the Nationals having a 9 game lead. Atlanta is 4-4 against Washington on the year winning two consecutive series, and continues to prove they can beat them this season.

It’s the end of June, and the Braves are giving fans a reason to be optimistic prior to Freeman’s long awaited return. The season is going to be filled with ups and downs Braves fans, but after seeing what this team has done responding to adversity thus far I think it’s safe to say it’s time to give the team a chance.

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