Thoughts and reactions to the Atlanta Braves from the past week

Buckle Up Braves Fans

The Braves dropped their series opener last night in Los Angeles against the Dodgers 3-5, but things aren’t about to get any easier for them anytime soon. The Dodgers are the best team in baseball right now according to most people, and my Top 10 Power Rankings, and the Braves never seem to have much luck on the west coast. After wrapping up this series in LA, the team will head to the desert for a 4-game series against the Diamondbacks, who are currently the 4th best NL team percentage-wise. They are 20-15 on the year and are tied with the Cubs for the second-most runs scored on the season in the National League.

After the series with the Diamondbacks wraps up Sunday, the Braves will get to head back to Atlanta, but will then have to square off with the Cardinals and the Brewers for three games apiece. The Cardinals currently lead the NL Central and have the 2nd-best winning percentage in the National League. The Brewers are 5th in the NL according to win-percentage, but feature one of the best teams in baseball, as we all know. Let’s just hope Christian Yelich doesn’t get hot around that time because he has shown he can pretty much win games by himself when he does. These next four series will be a good test for Atlanta, who still rolls out one of the youngest teams in baseball. I particularly can’t wait to see what the young, promising pitchers Max Fried and Mike Soroka do against these teams. Fried will get the start tonight in Los Angeles.

Young Guns

Everybody in the baseball world knows the Braves have more young pitching stockpiled in their franchise than anyone else. For a couple years now, Braves fans have been anxiously awaiting to see which ones pan out and which ones seem like they may not quite live up to expectations at the major league level. Two that have looked absolutely brilliant so far this year are Max Fried and Mike Soroka. I know it’s really early, but these two guys have shown enough to build confidence in all Braves fans that they have the potential to be really good for a long time.

We’ll start with Mike Soroka. The 21-year old has made four starts so far on the young season, and has collected three wins. Out of the 23.2 innings he’s thrown, he’s racked up 27 strikeouts to just 8 walks. He’s got great stuff and has shown the ability to command the strike zone as well. I love the 1.14 ERA so far.

When it comes to the pitcher I have the most confidence in right now on that Braves’ staff, I’d have to go with Max Fried. The kid is just a gamer. He’s made six starts on the season and thrown 38.1 innings. Through that he’s struck out 33 batters, while walking just 7, and sports a very nice 2.11 ERA with a 0.99 WHIP. Five of those starts have been Quality Starts, which is a start where a pitcher throws at least six innings and gives up three earned runs or less. I love watching Max Fried and his curveball that drops off the table. Tonight will be a great test for the 25 year old pitching against his hometown Dodgers. Even if he gets hit pretty hard tonight, Fried is the real deal.

Awards

Lumber King

Charlie Culberson: If you’re a Braves fan, it’s impossible not to like Charlie. His role has decreased this year after finally getting a good amount of playing time last year, but he just goes out and plays hard every single chance he gets. And he hits. What a weapon he is as a pinch hitter off the bench, which is where he gets his most opportunities. Through 22 AB’s on the season, he’s hitting .364 with 2 home runs and 7 RBI.

King of the Hill

Luke Jackson: I can’t believe it, but I’m going with someone out of the bullpen. I’ve already honored Fried and Soroka, and Jackson has pleasantly surprised out of the bullpen this year…which is REALLY needed. Through 16 innings, he’s given up just four earned runs and has 19 strikeouts. He’s been one of the very few bright spots in the pen this year.

Twisted Sister Award (We’re Not Gonna Take It Anymore):

Sean Newcomb: After being sent down to Triple-A for several weeks to figure things out, Newcomb is back with the Braves and came out of the bullpen last night. According to Sean, he is “ticked off” that he had to go back down (though he is mad at himself), and is using that energy to be successful at the major league level again. Let’s hope it works.

Garett

Tomahawk Tuesday: Atlanta Braves Reactions