Things in the sun splattered North Port, Florida, the spring training home of the 2023 National League East Division champion Atlanta Braves, is heating up.
The Braves, probably the most offensively potent club in baseball last season, held their first formal team practice of 2024 earlier this week, kicking off their pursuit for a sixth World Series title in franchise history.
Atlanta, which finished with an MLB-best 104-58 record last season, has spent the whole offseason retooling its squad and reloading its psyche, preparing for another shot at baseball’s most desired prize.
Braves players, fans, and members of the local and national media have not been shy about setting lofty expectations for the team, which is filled with long ball hitters, quick base runners, contact hitters with high averages, and dominating power pitchers.
In fact, Atlanta’s anticipated starting lineup is so deep and athletically accomplished that it reads like a Who’s Who of the finest players in both the National League and Major League Baseball.
When the Braves travel to Citizens Bank Park on Opening Day, March 28, to face the Phillies, they will begin the long and arduous journey of trying to reach the postseason, giving themselves another chance to earn a different outcome than the nightmare they experienced last season when the Phillies eliminated them from the National League Division Playoffs.
“It’s all I’ve thought about,” said Braves power pitcher Spencer Strider, who rose to the top of Atlanta’s dazzling starting rotation last season. “Throughout the offseason, our team has discussed how to improve our chances of success in the postseason, whether in groups or individually.
Strider and several of his colleagues believe the Braves must set the highest possible standard in 2024,
“I think there should be no acceptance of anything less than winning a World Series in this organization,” he stated. I believe it. I’m biased, but this is baseball’s most talented club.
Strider, who threw a career-high 186 2/3 innings last season and broke John Smoltz’s single-season strikeout record (281), has a point.
The Braves have a lot of talent and made a number of savvy moves this summer. General Manager Alex Anthopoulos, who is always looking for ways to improve the team, restocked the bullpen with power arms, signed former New York Mets top draft pick Jarred Kelenic to play left field, and made a trade with Boston to acquire former Red Sox star Chris Sale, bolstering an already lethal pitching staff.
The strongest offence in baseball last season returns practically every important contributor, including fast outfielder and four-time National League All-Star Ronald Acuna, Jr., three-time All-Star second baseman Ozzie Albies, 2023 MLB RBI leader Matt Olson, and two-time NL Among them are All-Star third baseman Austin Riley, 2022 National League Rookie of the Year outfielder Michael Harris II, and 2020 NL HR and RBI leader Marcell Ozuna.
Anthopoulos reinforced the bullpen with high-velocity lefties, righties, and power relievers.
Before the Sale trade, MLB experts ranked Atlanta’s starting rotation as the third best.But now, it’s expected to be the finest in baseball.
Atlanta’s offence was perhaps the best in baseball in 2023.
You don’t get a.642 winning % unless your club produces a lot of on-base traffic, timely hitting, home runs, and stolen bases.
One of the 2023 Braves’ distinguishing features was their quick-strike offence, which allowed them to get out to early leads against their opponents. Atlanta’s 146 runs scored in the first inning of games last season were the second most in Major League Baseball history, trailing only the St. Louis Cardinals, who scored 147 runs in the first frame of the 1974 season.
Acuna, Jr. concluded the 2023 season with a.337 batting average, 41 home runs, 106 RBI, 73 steals, 217 hits, 149 runs scored, and 383 total bases. Each of the final four statistical categories lead Major League Baseball.
In 2023, the Braves hit a lot of homers. In fact, Atlanta became the first MLB team in history to smash 300 home runs (an MLB record of 307) and steal 100 bases (132) in the same season.
If they can generate that level of offensive productivity in 2024, they will have a good chance of returning to the Fall Classic and possibly winning their sixth World Series victory.
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