Braves 2019 Season Preview
Ready to check out our 2019 Atlanta Braves predictions? Atlanta broke a streak of three consecutive 90-loss seasons to win 90 games and the NL East in 2018.
MLB Braves Predictions & Handicapping Insight
This was supposed to be the season Atlanta’s young talent arrived and really delivered meaningful MLB production. Most of it was a year early and now the expectations are high for the Braves in 2019 with the rest of the crop on the way.
2019 MLB Team Previews – Atlanta Braves
- Braves Win Total: 86
- Braves National League East Odds +350
- Braves National League Odds 10/1
- Braves World Series Odds 20/1
Key Additions:
- Josh Donaldson
- Brian McCann
Josh Donaldson is a huge question mark, whom the Braves signed for one year and $23 million.
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Brian McCann will platoon with the right-handed hitting Tyler Flowers in his return home. He’s a fan favorite and superb in the clubhouse. He will only help the Braves.
Key Losses:
- Anibal Sanchez
Things worked out as well as they could of for both Sanchez and the Braves, who were the only team to step up and even offer the former ERA champion a contract last season. He stayed healthy enough to make 24 starts and finish with an ERA+ over 140. The Braves benefited in 2018 and he got paid in 2019. Atlanta has enough arms to make up for the loss.
2019 Atlanta Braves Predictions: Projected Lineup:
- Ronald Acuna Jr.
- Freddie Freeman
- Josh Donaldson
- Brian McCann
- Nick Markakis
- Ozzie Albies
- Ender Inciarte
- Dansby Swanson
If Donaldson stays healthy and produces, this lineup is going to be lethal in the first third. I’m not sure McCann will consistently clean-up but he could get some starts there.
Both Freeman and Markakis played all 162 last season and produced lots of runs. They are both everyday type of bats but it will be hard to match last year’s production, much less exceed it. It’s something to keep in mind.
Ozzie Albies was electric in the first half and lost in the second. What type of player will he be in 2019? To me, he’s the key to a lineup that really could be one of the game’s best or the team’s Achille’s heal.
Don’t forget Johan Camargo, who posted a 116 OPS+ in 524 plate appearances a year ago. He’s the spare infielder as long as everybody’s healthy. His availability could help help keep Donaldson fresh and off the DL.
2019 Atlanta Braves Predictions: Projected Rotation:
- RH Mike Foltynewicz
- LH Sean Newcomb
- RH Julio Teheran
- RH Kevin Gaussman
- RH Touki Toussaint
The big name missing here isn’t Anibal Sanchez, who signed with Washington, but Mike Soroka, the young Canadian phenom who came onto the scene at the tender age of 20 last season and looked great before injuring his shoulder.
He’s had setbacks this offseason and it’s now at the point where the Braves can’t be sure what to expect from him in 2019. For now, he’s out of the rotation, though he could make a comeback later in the season in the bullpen.
2019 Atlanta Braves Predictions: Projected Closer:
- RH Arodys Vizcaino
Vizcaino saved 16 games last season, only because he didn’t stay healthy. He posted an ERA+ near 200 in just less than 40 innings.
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The bullpen was a problem last season and the Braves didn’t do much to upgrade it. They are welcoming up new young arms, though. I think they believe the solution to their problem last year is somewhere already in the system.
2019 Atlanta Braves Predictions:
The Braves have been dealing with Bryce Harper so it isn’t a huge deal that he’s now with Philly instead of Washington. Still, Philadelphia looks like Atlanta’s primary competition.
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I’m just a wee bit concerned about the starting rotation because Foltynewicz won’t start the season completely healthy and both he and Sean Newcomb were so good last season. I’m skeptical they can take another step forward, especially after sort of hitting a wall at the end of last season.
There are questions about the lineup, rotation, and bullpen. To me, that makes Atlanta a hard team to back in the futures market. That said, if Donaldson even comes close to returning to MVP-level, the Braves could be world-beaters.
Rather than play Atlanta to win the division for a small payout, I’d rather take a stab at a larger prize and hope everything clicks in a World Series run.
What do you think of our 2019 Atlanta Braves predictions? Comments are welcome below.
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