There’s just 21 days until the Atlanta Braves play their season opener in Philadelphia against the Phillies. It’s that time of year where everyone is keeping an eye on Spring Training to see how players on their favorite teams are performing and where hope and optimism build in every fan’s mind. Being in Braves Country (Charlotte, NC) we will be keeping up with and reporting on the Atlanta Braves all season long. I am a lifelong Braves fan and am excited to bring everyone the news on the ballclub for the next seven months. Let’s start by taking a look at where the team stands right now and what Braves fans can expect heading into the 2019 season.

Projected Lineup

1. Ronald Acuna Jr., LF

2. Ozzie Albies, 2B

3. Freddie Freeman, 1B

4. Josh Donaldson, 3B

5. Nick Markakis, RF

6. Tyler Flowers/Brian McCann, C

7. Dansby Swanson, SS

8. Pitcher

9. Ender Inciarte, CF

Projected Rotation

1. Mike Foltynewicz

2. Sean Newcomb

3. Kevin Gausman

4. Julio Tehran

5. Touki Toussaint

Now, this is the projected lineup and rotation according to how I would arrange it to begin the season. You’ll see different projected lineup orders from different people, so there’s really no right or wrong. This is simply just the way I would make it out on opening day. There is a case for Acuna hitting in the clean-up spot, but considering how well he did as leadoff last year I think it would be crazy to move him until he starts to struggle. He has also already stated he feels very comfortable in the leadoff spot and wants to be there. I’m also a fan of having the pitcher hit 8th, and Inciarte hit 9th to set up a “leadoff hitter at the end of the order” type lineup. However, if it proves to not be successful this year, I wouldn’t hesitate to quickly change. As for the rotation, Mike Foltynewicz isn’t expected to be ready to go on opening day, but feels confident he’ll be ready by the end of the first week of the season. Let’s break things down even further.

Pitching

You have to start with Foltynewicz. Hopefully he can build on his 2018 All-Star season where he had a 2.85 ERA and held opponents to a .195 average. He has continued to grow every year and really figure things out, with last year being his breakout year. I feel confident that he can produce those same type of numbers this season and be the Braves #1. I expect Gausman to have a solid year and be a pretty reliable pitcher, as he was last year once he came to Atlanta. He won’t blow you away, but he is good enough to make fans feel confident on the days he’s on the hill. Also, since this will be his first full season in Atlanta, he should be a lot more comfortable without the trade distractions and bad situation he faced in Baltimore. The change of scenery was great for him last summer.

Julio Teheran is a wildcard and has been for a while now in Atlanta. Some nights he looks great, while other nights he just doesn’t have it. A lot was made out of his decrease in velocity last season, but reports are that it is back up this spring. It feels like Teheran is a lot older than he is because of his eight seasons with the Braves, but he’s only 28. He’s got plenty of potential and had a better 2018 than 2017, so hopefully he continues that upward trend. We’ll just have to wait and see.

Sean Newcomb gave Braves fans plenty to be excited about last year, with a very strong year. He came within one out of a no-hitter to the eventual NL Champion Los Angeles Dodgers. He had a very good streak last year, before dropping in production towards the end of the season. I attribute that to fatigue on a young arm, and some distractions he faced with media backlash over comments he made as a teenager. I think a new season with a lot to build on from last year will be beneficial to him. Touki Toussaint made his debut last season and seemed to fit right in on the big stage. The 22-year old has filthy stuff and should improve on it as he learns to pitch at the big league level. I’m very excited about Toussaint. He will go through some growing pains this season, given his age, but if he uses them as learning experiences, he has a pretty high ceiling.

Catcher

First off, I will really miss Kurt Suzuki. That guy was very good in his stint with the Braves, with so many clutch hits and his willingness to help the younger pitchers out. I hate that he’s gone and hate it even more he’s with the Nationals…BUT, let’s focus on this season. I was glad Tyler Flowers decided to come back because of his eagerness to be part of something special. While his numbers at the plate took a dip last year, he’s still not a bad option to have splitting time behind the plate. While it wasn’t a big move like many Braves fans clamored for, I was happy to see Brian McCann come back to Atlanta. He’s not the hitter he used to be and his playing time has really decreased in recent years, but most importantly he will prove to be a great asset to the younger pitchers. He is a natural-born leader who knows his role at this point in his career and I expect him to fully utilize it to help this team win.

First Base

The most solidified position on the Braves roster is owned by fan-favorite Freddie Freeman. Freeman is this generation’s Chipper Jones who came up with the Braves, has been the cornerstone for the team, puts up all-star numbers every year, and who’ll hopefully retire as a Brave like Chipper did. Barring injuries, I expect Freeman to put up MVP-like numbers once again this season in a very good Braves lineup. He is in the prime of his career and fans should be sure to enjoy every minute of it.

Second Base

Youngster Ozzie Albies played his first full major league season last year and for a while was as hot as anybody. He cooled off quite a bit throughout the back half of the season and his home runs dropped significantly, but ended up hitting .261 with 24 home runs. That’s not bad at all for a 21 year old. Now a year older with a full season under his belt, I look for Ozzie to build on last season and increase his average. I don’t see his number of home runs increasing, if anything they’ll decrease by a few, but I look for him to be more consistent and find those gaps more often. He is one of the more fun players to watch in this league because of his talent and his obvious love for the game.

Shortstop

Braves fans are still waiting for Dansby Swanson to break out and look more like the #1 overall draft pick that he was. He’s a very good defender and makes a lot of highlight-reel plays, it’s just his bat that has been lacking. In his first two full major league seasons, he’s hit .232 and .238. Nobody wants Dansby to have a break out year more than I do, because he’s a hometown guy with plenty of potential. Honestly I believe it’s pressure that builds on him after slumping that causes a lot of his struggles. Being the number one pick and traded to his hometown team created so many expectations that were placed on him before he ever put on a Braves uniform. I believe he is still learning to adjust to big league pitching and will get better and better. He’s a student of the game and a hard worker, so I see better things this season and beyond. If I had to guess, I see him hitting .250-.259 this season.

Third Base

This will be the most intriguing position to watch heading into the 2019 season for the Braves. Acquiring Josh Donaldson was the team’s “big” offseason move and while it may not seem that big on the surface, it could pay huge dividends. Donaldson has dealt with injuries the last two seasons, but says he feels 100% healthy now and ready to produce numbers like he did when he was the AL MVP in 2015. If he says he’s completely healthy and confident, you have to be really excited about adding him in the middle of the lineup as a Braves fan. It’s also interesting to note that he was a Braves fan growing up, so this opportunity is a dream come true for him. It’s very difficult to predict how he will perform this season, but if he stays healthy, I’m going to say he hits .285 with 28 home runs.

Left Field

Left field belongs to a guy who, like Freddie Freeman, will be wearing a Braves uniform for a long time. Ronald Acuna Jr. burst into the MLB scene last year as a 20 year old and hit .293 with 26 home runs and 64 RBI. He would go on to win the NL Rookie of the Year over Juan Soto of the Washington Nationals. Acuna is one of the most electrifying players in baseball already and he is only scratching the surface of his potential. Once he moved into the leadoff spot last season, he really took his game to another level and wreaked havoc on teams in the first inning. I really want him back in the leadoff position this year because it was an automatic spark plug for the team at the beginning of games.

Center Field

Ender Inciarte is one of the best defensive center fielders in the game, proved by the gold gloves he’s collected each of the last three seasons. It’s tough to describe how much of a luxury it is having him patrol center field. As far as hitting goes, last year was not his best hitting season. However, and this is crucial for Braves fans to understand, it wasn’t as bad as many think. It just felt worse than it was because he’s always been so good, hitting slightly below-to-above .300 every year. Last season his average dropped to .265 and many Braves fans seemed to give up on him. His other numbers at the plate dropped as well, but not as much as his average did. And while Ender was frustrated with himself, he still showed up every day, played a gold glove center field, and was a great teammate. With his track record of proven success, there’s no doubt in my mind he’ll bounce back this year and hit at least .280. I think there’s a pretty decent chance he hits over .300.

Right Field

Right field was a need for the Braves this offseason, since Nick Markakis became a free agent. When the Braves signed Markakis to come back, I was more than happy and could not understand why a lot of fans were upset. Not only was it a team-friendly deal, but he is coming off an All-Star year in which he hit .297 with 93 RBI. Oh, and let’s not forget…he also won a gold glove. And if all of that isn’t good enough, Nick Markakis is the ULTIMATE clubhouse guy. He is the guy who doesn’t seek any attention (I don’t even think he likes it), and just goes to work every day to do whatever he can to help his team win. While I don’t expect Nick to replicate his numbers from last year, I don’t think they’ll drop too much. He’s perfect for the 5th spot in the order because he makes consistent contact, even if he falls into a slump. I’m glad he’s back and so should all Braves fans.

Utility

Dansby Swanson’s look-a-like Charlie Culberson won over many Braves fans last year with a great utility season. After averaging just 48 games the previous four seasons, Charlie finally got the chance to prove himself last year with 113 games for Atlanta. He hit .270 with 12 home runs and 45 RBI. More importantly, he seemed to come up with clutch hit after clutch hit. He should get pretty regular playing time again this year, as he can move around almost anywhere on the field. Primarily he’ll back up second base, third base, and shortstop. His numbers at the plate might drop a little from last year, but they shouldn’t drop a whole lot. Johan Camargo, another utility player, was one of my favorite Braves players last year. At just 24 years old, he was given the opportunity to play third base with no real expectations. He took the opportunity and ran with it, hitting .272 with 19 home runs and 76 RBI. Another thing that was really impressive was his consistency. He never really seemed to slump and was perhaps the best hitter for the team in the playoffs. I’m glad the team brought in Donaldson for the potential benefits, but hated seeing Camargo lose his spot at third. However, as Snitker has said, he should see regular playing time as a utility guy this season. He can play anywhere in the infield other than first, and has been working out in the outfield so he will be able to give guys like Markakis a little more rest throughout the year. Great teams have great utility players and Johan Camargo could be one of the best in the league in my opinion.

As a Braves fan, I’m excited to see how the Braves can follow up their 2018 division-championship season. Throughout the rebuilding years, 2019 was the targeted year for the Braves to be ready to compete again, so last year was a special surprise to fans as the young guys grew up faster than expected. If injuries aren’t part of the equation, the team should be improved from last year, simply because all the young guys will have more experience under their belt.

Freddie’s ready.#BravesST | #ChopOn pic.twitter.com/8CAyCOksgX
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) March 6, 2019

Last year the Braves regular season record was 90-72. This year I am predicting an 86-76 record. While I think the team has improved, I see them winning a few less games simply because of an improved NL East. Other than the Marlins, every team in the division has improved. Like the Braves, the Phillies have a lot of young talent who is a year older, plus a few key additions including Bryce Harper. The Nationals will fill the Harper void with highly touted Victor Robles and have made a few other additions to make their team better than last year. And the Mets made several moves over the offseason to improve their roster. Overall, it will be a very fun and competitive year in the NL East. The Braves certainly have the talent to repeat as division champs, now let’s put on our Braves shirts and see if they can do it.

Garett

Atlanta Braves 2019 Season Outlook