Notable Additions: Chris Sale, Reynaldo Lopez, Adam Duvall
Notable Losses: Vaughn Grissom, Eddie Rosario, Nick Anderson
The Braves have one of the best teams in the league, yet can not get by the Phillies. Disregard my biased opinion. The Braves have one of the best offenses in the league—scratch that, they have one of the best offenses ever. They also acquired Chris Sale and Reynaldo Lopez in the offseason, making a very scary rotation. The Braves have the best team in the league and will win the World Series in 2024.
Projected Starters
C: Sean Murphy
1B: Matt Olson
2B: Ozzie Albies
3B: Austin Riley
SS: Orlando Arcia
LF: Jared Kelenic
CF: Michael Harris
RF: Ronald Acuna Jr.
DH: Marcell Ozuna
This offense is disgusting. As a team, they had a .845 OPS in 2023. That is one of the best team OPSs in MLB history. Seven of the nine players above had an OPS of .800 or better. The only ones who didn’t were Orlando Arcia and Jarred Kelenic. Marcell Ozuna, Matt Olson, and Ronald Acuna all had an OPS above .900. Five of the nine hitters had 30 or more home runs. The Trio of Ozuna, Olson, and Acuna all had over 40 home runs. Acuna was the MVP in 2023, and while it is unlikely he will repeat, he and the rest of the Atlanta lineup are elite hitters. I give their hitting a 10/10.
Projected Starting Rotation
Spencer Strider
Max Fried
Chris Sale
Charlie Morton
Reynaldo Lopez
I think this is the second-best rotation in baseball. Strider had a 3.86 ERA with a 2.85 FIP in 2023 and 283 strikeouts, and Fried had a 2.55 ERA with a 3.14 FIP and 80 strikeouts in 77.2 innings pitched. Chris Sale was a very underrated veteran acquisition. At the same time, Charlie Morton has been very solid for the Braves over the last three years. Reynaldo Lopez is a great 5th man to have. He ranked in the 90th percentile for strikeout percentage in 2023. This is a tremendous pitching staff, and I give them a 10/10.
The Braves have a good bullpen to complement their elite rotation. Raisel Iglesias had 33 saves in 2023. AJ Minter, Joe Jimenez, Pierce Johnson, and Aaron Bummer make good setup options. It is a solid bullpen but not elite. I give it a 7/10.
Sock’s 2 X-Factors
Ronald Acuna Jr.: Where do I even start? The 2023 NL MVP had one of the best seasons in MLB history. He hit .337/.416/.596 with 41 home runs, 74 stolen bases, and a 170 WRC+. His baseball-savant page is insane to look at. He ranked in the 100th percentile in xwOBA, xBA, xSLG, and average exit velocity. He had a career-low 11.4% strikeout percentage. This smashed his previous career low of 23.6%. Acuna reminded everyone how dominant he can be. While I doubt he will recreate this stat line in 2024, he will still be elite.
Matt Olson: Olson has been a reliable power bat for the Braves since joining them in 2022. He has played all 162 games in the last two seasons. Last season, Olson had a career year hitting .283/.389/.604 with 54 home runs and a 160 WRC+. He won his first career Silver Slugger and finished 4th in MVP voting. He had a career-high walk percentage of 14.4% but a high strikeout percentage of 23.2%. The Braves found a great Freeman replacement.
Sleeper: Chris Sale: Too many people are giving up on Chris Sale. In 20 starts with the Red Sox in 2023, he had a 4.30 ERA and 3.80 FIP, with 125 strikeouts in 102.2 innings. He has a weird but effective delivery that confuses batters. He ranked in the 92nd percentile in chase percentage. If he can stay healthy, he is an excellent number-three starter for the Braves.
Prospects to Look Forward To
Hurston Waldrep: Selected in the 1st round of the 2023 MLB Draft, Waldrep is a strikeout machine. He had a 13.5 K/9 rate in college and a 12.6 K/9 in 8 games last season in the minors. He will probably be used more as a reliever, but I expect him to be effective when he is called up.
Spencer Schwellenbach: Selected in the 2nd round of the 2022 MLB draft, Spencer has a great arsenal of pitches to get guys out. In 2023, Spencer put up a 2.49 ERA in 16 games started. The Braves have tremendous depth at starting pitching depth, and Mr. Schwellenbach is no exception.
GM For a Day
The Braves have aced their rotation and batting order. They still need to get a dominant bullpen piece. The Guardians are reportedly willing to trade Emmanuel Clase. If the Braves acquire him, they will be one of the most complete teams in the league.
Projected Finish: 102-60 1st in the NL East, 1st Seed in the NL
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