2016 Pre-Season Profile: Atlanta Braves

The season may be a week in, but it's not too late to finish up some predictions.  Let's look at the Atlanta Braves!

Last Season

My 2015 Prediction: 3rd in NL East

2015 Result: 67-95, 4th in NL East

The Braves started a true rebuild process in 2015, as the proud dynasty of the 90's and 00's finally came to a true end.  I picked them to finish 3rd because the Braves always seem to find a way to win their share of games.  2015 is the year this stopped.  The Braves were pretty bad.  The only question was had they reached rock bottom yet.

2016 Additions / Subtractions

If anyone wasn't fully convinced the Braves had started to rebuild, this offseason was the clincher.  For all those other teams I have been criticizing in these articles, this is what a rebuild is supposed to look like.  They traded Shelby Miller, the key piece in the Jason Heyward trade the offseason before, to the Diamondbacks.  Then they traded their slick-gloved shortstop Andrelton Simmons to the Angels.  Cameron Maybin left and went to the Tigers as well.  All these trades brought back prospects, the crown jewel being Dansby Swanson, the 2015 number one overall pick by the Diamondbacks.  Ender Inciarte and Erik Aybar were the only major league players acquired through all these trades.  However, this did take the Braves' farm system from one of the worst in the league to one of the best.

Most Important Hitter

Freddie Freeman

With the way the Braves were selling, everyone was wondering if Freddie Freeman would be heading out as well.  Would he be another piece to bring back prospects, or the cornerstone this new team would be build around.  When the 26 year old first baseman was still on the roster in Spring Training, it appears the answer is the latter.  If Freeman truly is the face of this franchise moving forward, he can't get frustrated by the rebuild.  He has to remain the star he is while leading this team into its next great era to come.

Most Important Pitcher

Julio Teheran

Julio Teheran has been touted as the future ace of the Braves for several seasons.  He made the All Star Team in 2014, but followed it up with an average year in 2015.  If he truly is going to be the anchor of this staff moving forward, he has to be better than he was last year.

Player to Watch

Aaron Blair

In an age where top prospects are more valuable than gold, the Diamondbacks gave up a lot for Shelby Miller.  Not only did they trade Swanson to the Braves (who is still a year or so away), but they also gave them Aaron Blair.  Blair is a big, strong righty that will most likely be in the Braves' rotation by the end of the year.  The Braves are hoping some of their new prospects like Blair and Swanson will be mainstays on the Braves roster for the next decade.

2016 Prediction

4th in NL East

Was 2015 rock bottom for the Braves?  I would say no.  2016 will be rock bottom for the Braves as they close down Turner Field.  The only thing keeping them out of the cellar is the Phillies, but these will be the two worst teams in baseball this year.  2017 looks more promising as some of these prospects will start to find their way to the big leagues by the end of this season.  They are really trying the Houston Astros' model of rebuilding.  The goal is to win the World Series in five years.  It seems to have worked in Houston.  Only time will tell if it will work in Atlanta.

Fearless Prediction

The Atlanta Braves will lead the league this year in big league debuts.

This isn't much of a stretch.  However, with as bad as they are and as good as their farm system now is, look for a rotation of players to come up and get a taste of the big leagues for the first time this year.  Inciarte, Aybar, and maybe even Nick Markakis will be shipped off by the end of the year.  Two-thirds of their starting lineup on game 162 I will predict was not on their 25 man roster on Opening Day.

2015 Pre-Season Profile: Atlanta Braves

The Atlanta Braves are coming off a rare down year, which was followed by an even rarer selling spree this offseason.  What will the team look like when the dust settles?

Last Season

79-83, 2nd in NL East

For only the third time since Bobby Cox took over as manager in 1991, the Atlanta Braves finished with a record below .500.  However, their division was so weak last year it was still good for second place.  There were some good things that happened, but it was also clear by the end of the season that some changes were needed for the team to get back to its expected success.

2015 Additions / Subtractions

Like I said, changes were needed.  Like I said, they were not the changes Atlanta was used to seeing.  The revamped front office saw a roster that was good, but not great.  They also saw a depleted farm system that would be bringing no help in the future.  So the Braves sacrificed some marginal success in the short-term to improve their chances to be great in the long term.  With this mindset, Atlanta dealt Evan Gattis, Tommy La Stella, Justin Upton, and Jason Heyward.  The nucleus that was supposed to bring back the glory days of Braves baseball was gone.  However, the farm system was replenished with top end talent as they began to build towards the future.  The only major additions that will affect the squad this season were Shelby Miller coming over in the Heyward trade and Nick Markakis signing in free agency.  However, the farm system was flooded with new talent, with five of the top 10 and 11 of the top 20 prospects in their system being added in offseason trades this year.  So depending on your definition, this offseason was a success for the Braves.

Most Important Hitter

Chris Johnson

Two years ago, Chris Johnson was winning a batting title while replacing Braves legend Chipper Jones.  Last year, his batting average dropped 60 points.  For the Braves to show any signs of success in the big club this year, Johnson needs to return, maybe not all the way to his 2013 form, but at least start to look like the formidable hitter he did that year.

Most Important Pitcher

Shelby Miller

The Braves have been defined by their pitching ever since the days of Glavine, Smotlz, and Maddux.  Shelby Miller came over from the pitching-rich St. Louis Cardinals in the Jason Heyward deal as a guy who needed a fresh start.  If he is at his best, he could challenge Julio Teheran for the ace of the staff.  However, that potential has not been yet in the big leagues.  With the amount of talent now flowing through the farm system, Miller better figure it out soon or else he may be changing addresses again.  Maybe Atlanta is just what he needed.

Player to Watch

Christian Bethancourt

Why did the Braves let Brian McCann walk in free agency two years ago?  Why did the Braves trade lumberjack Evan Gattis away this year?  Christian Bethancourt is why.  He has been their catcher of the future for years, and after getting a taste of the majors last season, the future is now for this 23 year old backstop.  The Braves were smart bringing in a professional veteran like AJ Pierzynski to mentor Bethancourt throughout the season.  Watch for him to be a standout for the Braves this year.

Prediction

3rd in NL East

Many predictions show the Braves falling further this year, but there are too many proven pieces left on the club in Julio Teheran, Freddie Freeman, and Craig Kimbrel to see them drop much further than this.  They definitely took a step back this year from where they were a year ago, but it will pay off in the future.  In the meantime, we may need to put up with some Braves baseball that is below the caliber we have become accustomed to.