Braves 2018 Season Preview
Ready to check out our 2018 Atlanta Braves predictions? The Braves some some improvement last season and I think we can expect a little more. With the Marlins tanking it seems like a return to the basement of the division is very unlikely but so is contending with the Mets and Nationals.
MLB Braves Predictions & Handicapping Insight
The biggest acquisition the Braves made this offseason was probably GM Alex Anthopoulos who was the architect of the recent Toronto Blue Jays success. He takes over a very young team.
Atlanta is still not quite in a win now mode so they will likely stay the course in terms of the personnel they start the season with. They are looking for some young players to tip.
2018 MLB Team Previews – Atlanta Braves
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Key Additions:
- SP Brandon McCarthy
- SP Scott Kazmir
Players may be hitting more homers than ever before but you still need pitching to get through a season, preferably a lot of it.
Atlanta is going with a couple of veteran additions, perhaps hoping one of them looks good enough to deal at a point in the season for more futures.
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Both Kazmir and McCarthy have injury histories. Kazmir is definitely tougher to hit but getting more than 5 innings from him in any game is hard to count on. These two don’t really move the needle for the Braves at all.
Key Losses:
- 1B Matt Adams
- OF Matt Kemp
Kemp rehabbed his career a little last year and moved on. His presence will be missed. With a healthy Freddie Freeman there just isn’t much need for Adams. He won’t be missed.
Braves Predictions: Projected Lineup:
- CF Ender Inciarte
- 2B Ozzie Albes
- 1B Freddie Freeman
- C Tyler Flowers
- RF Nick Markakis
- LF Ronald Acuna
- 3B Johan Camargo
- SS Dansby Swanson
This team is going to struggle in a lot of ways this season including scoring. In this lineup the only bat you really need to fear is Freddie Freeman. He is a really good power average guy.
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The rest are past their prime or prospects.
Dansby Swanson has gotten a lot of publicity but still is not established as a major league hitter. He needs to lead some of their younger players in bein more consistent. There is potential throughout though.
Braves Predictions: Projected Rotation:
- RH Julio Teheran
- RH Mike Foltynewicz
- LH Sean Newcomb
- RH Brandon McCarthy
- LH Scott Kazmir
There was a time when Teheran might have been considered on a path to #1 starter status. Not necessarily an ace but a dependable guy you would think would win more often then not. I think those days are now gone. He can be good but it seems like the situation has worn on him.
The rest of the rotation is mostly low cost veterans with the exception of Newcomb. He is young and lefthanded and he can miss bats but at nearly 25 if he was truly going to be great we would have seen a lot more by now. He kind of profiles similar to a young Kazmir. He walks too many.
Braves Predictions: Projected Closer:
- RH Arodys Vizcaino
Vizcaino might have good stuff but his history as a closer is limited. How many chances he will have remains to be seen too.
Lefty AJ Minter was impressive in a cup of coffee in the Majors last season. He can definitely strike guys out and might be a future closer but on a bad team there is no reason to rush him into that role.
Anyelo Gomez was picked up in the Rule 6 draft so he might be the only other arm that is in the pen all season long. Otherwise they have to give him back.
2018 Atlanta Braves Prediction:
Atlanta is going to be an interesting team to watch this season. Last year they made some strides but are definitely still not a threat to the Nationals in the East.
It will help Atlanta that Miami appears to be bottoming out. They were not elite last year and traded the best outfield in baseball away.
Philadelphia is in a similar spot to the Braves. They showed some growth last year but they could backslide providing some easy win opportunities for the Braves along the way.
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In terms of wagering the Braves are going to be a tough team to back. There are not going to be a lot of starting pitcher matchup that are going to favour them and neither the lineup
I do not know what to make of their pitching but I can see the offense being better than expected so looking at some overs early could make a lot of sense. Other than Freeman and a couple of others there just isn’t a long book on most of the guys.
What do you think of our 2018 Atlanta Braves predictions? Comments are welcome below.
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