{"id":48485,"date":"2021-07-05T10:48:36","date_gmt":"2021-07-05T14:48:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/?p=48485"},"modified":"2021-07-05T10:48:36","modified_gmt":"2021-07-05T14:48:36","slug":"atlanta-braves-two-key-negatives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2021\/07\/05\/atlanta-braves-two-key-negatives\/","title":{"rendered":"The Atlanta Braves: Two Key Negatives"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the baseball world, negatives come and go. For the Atlanta Braves<\/a> this season, it seems like they\u2019ve come to stay. Yes, there are some positive factors here. Nevertheless, these are overshadowed by the abundant sourness that has plagued this season. The halfway point rapidly approaches, with everyone wondering what the team will do next. Sadly, the same speed seems to be applied to the franchise\u2019s diminished playoff hopes. Well, perhaps diminished is too light of a term. At this point, \u201cdashed\u201d is more appropriate. Glimmers of light have consistently been snuffed out. A hopeful winning streak is replaced with a frustrating losing streak of the same length. In short, the team has no consistency right now. So, let\u2019s dive in and see some of the contributing factors to this lack of balance.<\/p>\n

Atlanta Braves Negative #1: The Bullpen<\/h2>\n

Factor number one has to lie in the bullpen. Last season, the team posted some of its best bullpen numbers in years. A trio of shutdown arms were the leaders of this resurgence. Chris Martin, Shane Greene, and Mark Melancon dominated opponents. They all had ERA between 1.0 and 2.5, and posted ERA+ of 170 or higher. A.J. Minter had an incredible season (0.83 ERA, 591 ERA+). The rest of the \u2018pen, minus Luke Jackson, had solid seasons. Unfortunately, Melancon departed for the San Diego Padres<\/a> after the year. Martin and Greene have both been brought back, but they\u2019ve been shells of their former selves. The rest of the relief corps hasn\u2019t really looked any better.<\/p>\n

For Greene, life has been especially rough. He\u2019s posted an ERA over 10 since returning to the Braves on a one-year deal. His ERA+ has plummeted to an abysmally bad 43. On the plus side, he has only given up one home run in 7.2 innings. Regardless, it\u2019s a small sample size, and the rest of it hasn\u2019t looked quite as good. When it comes to Martin, his struggles have all been recent. After posting a 1.54 ERA through 12 appearances, he squandered a lead on June 10th<\/sup>. Since then, he\u2019s posted a 7.20 ERA in five appearances.\u00a0 He\u2019s also given up four earned runs in a mere five innings. In short, things are not looking bright for him. The hope here is that both he and Greene will regain their previous forms. Atlanta Braves fans have seen them both do it before.<\/p>\n

Relievers Without Relief<\/h2>\n

Now, we move to the rest of the bullpen. Another shell that is worthy of discussion is Minter. He\u2019s falling off the map, and falling quickly. After that sparkling 2020, he\u2019s regressed to a 4.66 ERA in 29 innings. The issue here lies in the amount of hard-hit balls he gives up. Nearly 40% of his pitches are hit with an exit velocity of 95 miles per hour or more. While he\u2019s only given up two homers, he has given up 27 hits. Many of these have been costly. Other pitchers like Josh Tomlin and Tyler Matzek also haven\u2019t been as effective. Experiments with Edgar Santana and Carl Edwards Jr. have failed to yield any positive results. In short, the team desperately needs bullpen help.<\/p>\n

Finally, there\u2019s the closer\u2019s role. Last season, Melancon shut down opponents to the tune of a 2.78 ERA and a 177 ERA+. He also went 11 for 13 in save opportunities. This season, Will Smith has been given the job. While he has not been overtly terrible, he has been somewhat underwhelming. He\u2019s 1-5 with a solid 3.58 ERA and a 125 ERA+. He\u2019s also 16 for 17 in save opportunities. Now, these numbers aren\u2019t terrible on the surface. Unfortunately, as with Minter, his hard-hit percentage is between 35 and 40%. The good news is that this is an improvement upon last season. However, he must continue to lower it in order to become a more effective closer.<\/p>\n

Atlanta Braves Negative #2: The Outfield<\/h2>\n

Next, we will jump to the other Achilles heel: the outfield. Ronald Acuna Jr.\u2019s success has been well-documented. He will be an All-Star this season and is making a case for National League MVP. Nonetheless, his counterparts in the outfield have not been nearly as good. Let\u2019s begin with Marcell Ozuna. Before being arrested for domestic violence, he was very mediocre at the plate. He hit a mere .213 in 48 games with 40 hits. His power plummeted, leading to seven homers and six doubles. Productivity-wise, he had 26 RBI, but he was striking out nearly 23% of the time. His walk percentage (9.1%) was also much less than desirable. Considering his improvements in this area during 2020, this was a massive disappointment. In short, he was not living up to the massive deal the Braves had given him.<\/p>\n

Simply finding outfielders has been a challenge for the Atlanta Braves this season. Cristian Pache, considered the team\u2019s top prospect, struggled in the big leagues. Thanks to this and his multiple injuries, he was sent back to Triple-A Gwinnett. Guillermo Heredia and Ehire Adrianza have been placeholders. This is not to say that they haven\u2019t contributed in some key moments. Nonetheless, they have never been strong starting candidates. So, the team needs to begin looking elsewhere for help.<\/p>\n

Searching for Help<\/h2>\n

Within the minor league system, there are some players with terrific potential. However, some are still a good deal away from being major leaguers. Case in point, Drew Waters. After dominating for most of his minor league career, his numbers have tumbled this season. He\u2019s slashing .218\/.320\/.647 with three homers and 10 RBI in 38 games. A second option<\/a> is big-league veteran Orlando Arcia. His stint with the Milwaukee Brewers<\/a> ended on a sour note. Nonetheless, the Atlanta Braves were able to cut a deal for him. He hasn’t caused any sense of regret yet. He’s hitting .301 with 12 homers and 27 RBI in 49 games for Gwinnett. Not only that, but he’s definitely major-league ready.<\/p>\n

That being said, a few tempting names are hovering on the trade market. A couple of big ones lie in the camp of the abysmal Arizona Diamondbacks<\/a>. Before getting hurt, Ketel Marte had been having a good season. If the Braves decide to trade, they could swing a deal for him. Another potential name on that squad is David Peralta. Considering the abundant problems that plague that franchise, they could be looking to land some prospects. A second trade partner may be the Baltimore Orioles<\/a>. For the right deal, the Braves might land either Trey Mancini or Ryan Mountcastle. Both have bats with massive potential, along with outfield experience. All in all, there are a number of scenarios. It\u2019s simply a matter of picking the right one, should the Braves go this route.<\/p>\n

Don’t Lose Hope<\/h2>\n

Overall, while the team has picked up some momentum, there are still holes. Luckily, there\u2019s time to plug them before the run to the postseason. If Alex Anthopolous can either make shrewd trades or work the farm system well, then the team could bounce back. However, if this plan backfires, the team could drift back into the pages of obscurity. Only time holds the answers that fans of the Atlanta Braves so desperately seek. This once-dominant team is hanging on by a thread. Let\u2019s hope that it doesn\u2019t snap.<\/p>\n

Main Photo:
\nEmbed from Getty Images<\/a>