Curtis Compton/Atlanta Journal Constitution

I can finally write about the Braves now that their season is over, without fear of jinxing their playoff run. I’m a little superstitious by nature, as well as pessimistic about any Braves playoff team (for good reason). The Braves hadn’t won a single playoff series in 19 years, even though they have gotten there quite a bit throughout that time. So, the last thing I wanted to do as I watched the Braves actually succeed in the playoffs was to write about how good they were performing, taking the chance of jinxing them. But now that their playoff run came to an end at the hands of a Dodgers team overcoming a 3-1 deficit in the NLCS, it’s time to talk about the Braves, and more specifically, what we can expect next.

Let’s start with pitching. I think everyone was surprised how good the Braves pitchers were this postseason. Not that they aren’t supremely talented pitchers, but because of their youth and postseason inexperience. The playoffs are a different animal than the regular season and it’s usually the veteran pitchers who thrive and the younger pitchers who show signs of being overwhelmed. But these youngsters the Braves rolled out did everything to help their team win and more. Max Fried and Ian Anderson look like veterans themselves for the most part, dominating games when taking the mound. And Kyle Wright had a few good games himself…let’s forget the one performance.

Going forward with these three starting pitchers would make any GM feel very optimistic about the future. But here’s the kicker: add in Mike Soroka, the clubs ace, to these three starters and you have a set of young starters who are poised to become among the best rotations in the league for years to come.

Next let’s talk about the infield. This is another area that seems set for many years to come. Freddie Freeman will most likely retire a Brave and anchor first base for 7 or 8 more years. Ozzie Albies and Dansby Swanson should be the duo up the middle for many years, both only 23 and 26 years old, respectively. And Austin Riley seems to have made third base his position to lose, though his position isn’t as “set” as the others around the infield. If the Braves were to make a big free agent signing, he could certainly be moved to another team or even back to the outfield where he was last year when the team had Josh Donaldson at third base. I think we can all agree that he’s much better suited for third base, though.

The catching position is always one of question for Atlanta, and has been since the Javy Lopez/Eddie Perez days. The team signs someone for 1-2 years, usually a veteran, and rolls with it every year or two. It’s the same with Travis d’Arnaud this year. He just completed the first of a two-year contract, so he should be back next year to split time with William Contreras or Alex Jackson. Tyler Flowers will be a free agent and I don’t really see the team bringing him back again, though it wouldn’t surprise me either. But back to d’Arnaud. He’s more than capable of handling the position, both offensively and defensively, as we have seen. He was a huge offensive spark this postseason and was a very nice surprise. So, with one more year of him behind the plate, the Braves won’t necessarily have a need at that position for another year, barring any injuries.

Lastly, we have the very talented Atlanta outfield. We can start with superstar Ronald Acuna, who is under contract for eight more seasons. He will be around in Atlanta for a long time, which will contribute to the Braves having a good offense for a long time. Christian Pache has made his emergence this postseason and should get comfortable playing center field for a very long time. Touted as one of the best defensive center fielders in the game (even though he’s just 19 and broke into the league), his extreme athletic skills and defensive instincts remind a lot of people of another Braves favorite, Andruw Jones. Left field is where things get unclear. Marcel Ozuna had a fantastic year and helped boost this offense to very dangerous levels, but he was only under a one-year deal. He will undoubtedly be seeking a huge contract, and one the Braves will not be willing to dish out. With Ozuna most likely being gone, the Braves will have a gap to fill in right field, but more importantly, in the middle of the order. We will just have to wait and see how the Braves will address that this offseason.

After getting so close to the World Series before a heartbreaking playoff exit, Braves fans should remain very optimistic about the future. This is just the beginning for this team. We knew for years the Braves had one of the very best farm systems in baseball and that we had to be patient as fans. After much patience, the time has come. With all of the talented youth on the team, the Braves are in prime position to be a World Series contender for quite a while. And that will make it very fun to be a Braves fan going forward. I’m excited for what’s next.

Garett

What’s Next for the Atlanta Braves?