Atlanta Braves: Top Five Players of the 2017 Season
By Kit Anderson
4. Matt Adams
This may seem like an odd addition to the list considering that Adams spent the last part of the season as a bench player. Many fans also forget what Adams brought to the Braves when they lost the face of their franchise.
When the fateful pitch that ended Freddie Freeman’s tear early in the season happened most every fan and pundit agreed the Braves season was over. The Braves brought in Matt Adams to help the Braves fill in at first base.
Adams had struggled with the Cardinals finding a role and they basically dumped his salary to the Braves. Adams came into Atlanta and did his best Freddie Freeman impression for the best part of the Braves season.
With Adams starting at first and the Braves pitching rotation piecing together innings the Braves climbed back to .500 temporarily this season. Adams starting at first and putting up huge numbers for the weeks that Freeman was gone is often overlooked and the best part of the Braves season came with Adams starting at first.
The problem for Adams is now the fact that he is a player with no position even though he more than earned a starting role. A trade would not be completely surprising this off-season.
- Nick Markakis
Nick Markakis is the type of veteran player that every team wants one of in their clubhouse. Markakis is productive and brings consistency to a lineup full of young players. His ability to play great defense in right helped the Braves as well.
Markakis in his three years as a Braves has never played less than 150 games in a season. Considering the wear and tear that these players go through in a long summer and spring schedule that alone is worth a spot on this list with any type of production.
When you consider that he does it while hitting better than .270 and working pitch counts showing young players how to up pitch counts and see pitches. Markakis is the ultimate professional and should continue to put up solid numbers wherever he may land.
Much like Adams Markakis could be a player without a home if the Braves are unable to move Matt Kemp and forced to move Markakis to provide a starting role for Ronald Acuna. If Markakis does indeed move on from the Braves he will have given the Braves three very good years of production in the middle of a rebuild in at times a very bad lineup.