81 Is Realistic And Reachable For These Atlanta Braves

As Spring Training winds down and the regular season gears up, MLB teams and fans are focusing season expectations. The Atlanta Braves have 81 wins in sight.

Even the teams you know are going to be awful are optimistic right now. And that isn’t just relegated to Major League Baseball. I had a Tennessee Vols fan try to explain to me the other day that an 8 win season in football this fall should be the expectation. Insert eye roll emoji or GIF. Yes, the offseason affords all fans the ability to prognosticate potential glory. That said, the Atlanta Braves, even after three very tumultuous years, seem ready to breach that .500 plateau and get to 81 wins.

This isn’t to say that they will get to 81 wins. The Division should be more difficult this year than in recent times, and getting to .500 for the season will require a few Pitchers to fulfill promise, and a number of really young players to contribute early, consistently, and a lot. Neither of those things is a given.

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But, if one can take anything away from Spring Training, which can be debated, things do look promising for our Braves. The Pitchers have looked better than in recent camps. Julio Teheran, the nominal ace, specifically. Until yesterday, nobody had really touched up Folty all Spring, and the young Pitchers seem like they’ve progressed.

You never know. But, again, that’s what we’ve seen, thus far.

The lineup should have less pop, but more motor. Once Acuna gets back to the big club, the trio of him, Inciarte, and Albies should steal bases like an unclaimed lighter at a party. Quickly and without thought.

Assuming those dude are on base, Freeman and Markakis hit for average enough to produce runs and situations to make up for any facile power at the plate. It also would really, really help if Swanson would hit.

And why is the 81 win number a big deal? Because, Atlanta has had losing seasons every year since 2013. Any one of those “super fans” who tells you that those types of things, especially over a very long season, don’t matter, probably never played anything competitively.

The Atlanta Braves, with a very divergent mix of veteran production, and young promise, have a very real and reachable chance to get to 81 wins this year.

Next: Atlanta Falcons: Logan Paulsen, The Perfect Complement To The Falcons?

Sometimes you have to pick yourself up off of the dirt, before you can start swinging for the fences again.