Reasons why Atlanta Braves’ offence-led dominance in the season is not short-lived-MLB Feature
Without wishing to eulogise a team based on their current standing, the fact is the Atlanta Braves have shown something serious. Resilience, raw power or call it an out-and-out application of science, a brand new era of their evolution as a club has kicked
off.
Don’t go in the past to prove their pitching woes. Don’t stigmatise their relievers for having done poor job traditionally. Think on their offence. See the scores they have made in the season.
Scoring as many as 166 runs in 32 games and boasting a distance of 38 runs from the closest rival in Division table, is it pragmatic to overlook the Braves from calculations?
Does scores they have posted not suggest that whatever disappointment they may have from their pitchers will be discounted in the midst of their offence’s fireworks? Are their competitors capable of stream rolling their pitchers to an extent that contribution
of their offence can be rendered fruitless?
These questions call for analysis about an extent of their transformation as a club.
Centre fielder, Michael Bourn who has a .274 career batting average is hitting .319 in the season. His slugging percentage of .385 is more than that of his career .360.
He, along with players like Martin Prado and Freddie Freeman, has made big strides from their career averages. While this speaks of their drastic improvements, it has resulted in a kind of performance by the club that exceeds even most optimistic of the
expectations.
It seems the Braves while making preparations during Spring Training did not bother to think over benchmarks and just kept going. Only to go in the season and performs and then realise how far they have come in their quest.
Their line-up is glittering, with many of their hitters crossing .500 in slugging percentage. This is a luxury no other side in the Division has.
Not caring how many runs they are trailed by and which inning is underway, their hitters are just going on the plate and unleashing themselves. Level of their perfection has reached such levels that their talent is no more constrained by quality pitchers
or out-witting throws.
If Chipper Jones and Brian McCann hit consistently, traditional view about the Braves does not alter in the minds of general observers.
What forces one to think the Braves as a rejuvenated side is homers by Juan Francisco and throws by the rookie, Randall Delgado. How the investment made on Jason Heyward is paying off huge dividends. From the way Tyler Pastornicky is being acrobatic on the
bases.
So much so reliever, Craig Kimbrel is coming late in the innings and is just being an exemplary rescuer.
The fact Kimbrel can throw in almost every game, rough up by their starter can be neutralised by him. Along with him, Livan Hernandez and Jonny Venters are making a potential fortified for the Braves, as that can help the team retort to late-upsurges by
the opponents.
Every other club in National League East Division sees their relievers posting high ERAs and becoming their major weak-link. Washington Nationals can be an exception. However injuries of most of their relievers can easily crown the Braves as a club that
has drawn the most impressive performance from their bullpen in the season.
Provided their pitchers remain as they are and do not go any worse from now onward, ruling out the Braves from reckonings can never be a pragmatic inference.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own and in no way represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.
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