MLB Team Outlook: Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are in the National League East Division and to their credit they are not very far behind Philadelphia Phillies who are leading the Majors. The Braves had a convincing first half of this season with a win-loss record of 54-38 and are easily
ranked among the top four teams of MLB.
The Braves are riding their success on teamwork rather than individual performances. Brian McCann, Freddie Freeman and Chipper Jones have been phenomenal at the plate whereas All-Star selections Jair Jurrjens and Craig Kimbrel have excelled at the mound.
Brian McCann dominates the batting statistics for Atlanta. He has 50 RBIs, 15 home-runs, 91 hits and a batting average of .310 which are all unmatched by his team-mates. His performance earned him a victory in the All-Star elections. A fan favourite, McCann
is an essential figure in the Braves’ line-up for the second-half of the season.
Freddie Freeman is in his debut year at the Majors and he is having a feast. Freeman is easily ranked among the top three rookies and given the high-standards of play, this achievement is no less. He has a batting average of .274 and a slugging percentage
of .459, both of which can improve dramatically given his style of play.
Chipper Jones has made some useful contributions for the Braves and the team needs more of these when they begin their second-half campaign against the Washington Nationals. He has chipped in with 46 RBIs and 35 runs. A few more of these may prove to be
fruitful to give the Phillies a tough time if not overtake them.
Atlanta’s decent batting is well supported by its aggressive pitching. Jair Jurrjens spearheads the attack and this season he has been exceptional. With a win-loss record of 12-3 and an ERA of 1.87, he can easily be ranked among the top starting pitchers
in MLB. Although he has been low on strike-outs, his repertoire is enough to dishevel any line-up.
In 16 games so far, Jurrjens has conceded just 93 hits for 23 earned runs. Only five of these runs have come as home-runs. He replicated his performance for the NL in the All-Star Game and will be positive to continue for his team as the season heads into
the second-half.
Craig Kimbrel has relieved Jurrjens well enough. His performance was considerate enough for Bruce Bochy to select Kimbrel to the NL pitching staff. Kimbrel did not disappoint Bochy and the fans as he ended up holding the game. He has been decent in the regular
season as well and his 28 saves cannot be overlooked. Braves need the youngster to be consistent for them to aim at the top spot.
The Braves now have two relatively easier series, first against the Washington Nationals followed by the Colorado Rockies.
Braves have won seven of their last ten games and have a golden opportunity to initiate a winning streak when they take on the struggling Nationals. Washington are 5-5 in their previous ten games.
The Rockies are also struggling with a 4-6 record in the previous ten outings and have been generally low on scoring runs. With a superior pitching staff, the Braves can make a promising staff to the second-half.
It will be interesting to see how the Braves come out after the All-Star break with three of their key players shining in the All-Star Game. A valiant effort is on the cards!
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