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They’re playing WAY, WAY, WAY above anyone’s expectations, & that’s great! It’s been a long time since Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, & John Smoltz. It’s simply fun to watch..... all while waiting on them DAWGS!!!
Did The Braves have a successful starter who didn't end up having at least 1 Tommy John surgery during that period ?
People forget, we had the lowest team ERA in MLB 1 of the seasons with that staff.
I'll always believe the organization was doing something wrong in training those guys.
Not to be a downer, but they've played .500 ball the past 6 weeks or so.
I'm not sure the depth is yet there to sustain a playoff run through 162 games.
The core is there, but it's young and thin.
@WCDawg & that had to come. But the team has already been a pleasant surprise to most, if not all.
I agree TO DATE they've exceeded my expectations. I expected .500 or close this season with a jump forward next season.
That may yet be how the season plays out. I've followed the game since the 1970s, the difference in a team's performance from 1st half to 2nd half of a season is often radically different.
@WCDawg yes, I remember my favorite player on many of those woeful teams & Fulton County’s “launching pad” was Dale Murphy. Thought (at that time) he was a certain HOF player. Shows how much (as a kid) that I knew? Not much has changed in that dept. I still don’t know much, just way older. Haha!
I think Murphy is the only 2 time League MVP to not get into The HOF, but I could be mistaken.
I will correct myself. Juan Gonzalez was also a 2 time MVP who didn't get in The HOF, his offensive stats are similar to Murphy's, but defensively there was no comparison, Murphy was a great defensive player.
And, if youth proves to be youthful, it is in the 2nd half that this team (as just about all teams do) play to their "real" level. I would be happy with a .500 season this year (which is how they have played lately). I would also be very pleasantly surprised if they can play better than that...and they just might. I'm worried about how the pitching is going to hold up over the hot months.
I wouldn't be happy with a .500 season.
That's not to say I would see it as a sign the core won't mature and the roster gain depth though.
Back to the former point though. Would a .500 record exceed expectations most had for this season ?
To me it would confirm them.
I thought the team would show growth, then be a contender either next season or in 2020.
I love the development of the starters, but we've had quite a bit of offensive production from players who have already faded to their levels of ability.
Acuna should be back with the Braves within the next week! Acuna never really hit his stride during his debut campaign. If Acuna plays up to his potential it should be a big boost and will help carry the team. AA will trade for a bullpen piece in July to help solidify the pen. This team will go as far as the bullpen can take us!
a .500 season would exceed the expectations that I had before the season began. Given our youth in pitching and some field positions, I'd have taken it before the season began. Not sure I'd take it now, though. Those guys are playing pretty darn well. They have avoided a meltdown like the Mets have had and, thus, have a great shot at +.500.
The team might well be better than .500, I'm just saying we can't judge this season till it plays out.
Acuna and Riley could factor in, as could Allard.
My guess was we'd be a .500 team this season, we've been a .500 team the past 6 or 7 weeks, but there is a lot of the season left to play out.
My personal bias is that Camargo should be an every day player - at 3rd if Swanson can be consistent with the bat or SS if Swanson can't. JC hit .300 (.299) last year and, with consistent playing this year is raising his average after a slow (very slow) start. He'll be at the 15-20 HR mark if he continues to start and plays excellent D. Best infield arm on the team IMO. Good speed too. I guess the Braves think Riley is going to be a 30 HR guy or something because that's about all I hear. It's like they've forgotten what they have in Camargo. Again, this is totally my opinion.
Swanson is a mystery to me.
He seems so composed in some ways, but he'd make coffee nervous in the batters' box.
He likely won't be a consistent hitter till he quiets down his spastic and random twitching. His body is very unfocused.
I wonder if Smoltz's old sports psychologist is available.
I agree Camargo should be given the opportunity to win the job at 3rd, but Riley seems to have the better bat.
Camargo has been fun to watch since becoming the everyday third basemen. Dansby seems to have a lot of slumps with his bat, but his SS play is great. Add Ozzie and Freddie, the Braves have one of the best defensive infields. I’m going to be interested to see where all Sticnker plays Culbertson once Aunca comes back. He can play just about any where, and has A lot of clutch hits for us this year.
It's just... fun! To me? It's also so very unexpected, which is EVEN MORE FUN!!!
I agree. There was about a 3 year stretch there where Murph and Andre Dawson were the most dynamic offensive threats in the NL. Man, Murph had a cannon.
Murph had something like 13 assist from center field one season, that is just unheard of.
I remember how excited I was when we gave Fernando Valenzuela his first loss.