Best Rotation In Baseball?
The Atlanta Braves already have two Cy Young Award potential candidates with Max Fried and Spencer Strider. In addition, Charlie Morton and Kyle Wright are not anything to laugh about, either. It looks like it is going to be tough to get into the rotation with only one regular spot to fill. Ian Anderson got smacked around by the Twins in his recent spring training outing. He seems to be the front runner for the job, but that is not saying much. He was shipped down to Triple-A late last season and then nursed an injury to end his year. That was a far cry from the gems he threw in the playoffs and in the World Series in 2021.
Pitching Roster Goes Deep
Michael Soroka is another possible fill for the rotation, but he is currently not fully healed from an Achilles injury. This leaves their fifth round pick from two years ago, Bryce Elder , as the outside candidate to grab the space. The expectations would be for the Braves to give Anderson the nod and make him work hard to keep that spot. The pitching roster goes very deep on this team and recent history shows that pitching has been a key component to their success.
Braves Look For Sixth Straight NL East Title
First Freddie, now Dansby. Why the Atlanta Braves will remain the dominant NL East team they have been during their most recent dynasty.
The Braves lost the NL MVP following their World Series win in 2021, yet they still found a way to overcome the loss and win their fifth straight NL East title. Now, their team MVP Dansby Swanson has gone on to graze the infield elsewhere. Is it time to stick a fork in their latest dynasty? There is no argument that losing the bat of Swanson, not to mention his gold glove caliber fielding stats is going to hurt, but the Braves have been here before with the Freddie Freeman defection.
Atlanta has found ways to win with overall team contributions and performance. The pitching staff has been grade-A. The bats produce day in and day out. Injuries are what have plagued this team season after season.
Braves Find a Way
Two seasons ago, the Braves found a way to claw their way to the NL East title and eventually the World Series win after dealing with multiple players on the injured list throughout the year. The playoff loss to the eventual World Series runner-up Phillies could be blamed on injuries. The Braves struggled to put together a pitching rotation due to injuries and could not shut down the ferocious Phillies bats throughout the series. The Braves bats did all they can to overcome the Philadelphia batting barrage in the playoffs last year.
Moves Were Made
As we enter the upcoming season, it looks like the Braves have made a bunch of moves to overcome the recent loss of Swanson. His former teammates have shown they are very capable of filling the role. Infielders Austin Riley , Ozzie Albies , and Matt Olson are no strangers to winning. Toss in superstar outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. and NL ROY Michael Harris II , and the lineup is terrifying. The Braves took it one step further and added star catcher Sean Murphy to their arsenal. The pitching staff looks as deep and solid as ever with stars Max Fried, Charlie Morton, Kyle Wright, and one of the newer kids on the block, Spencer Strider. This latest loss of one of their stars looks to finish like most sequels forgetting about the characters from the original as the Braves dominance show goes on.
Pro Sports Fanatics – Best Rotation in Baseball
Pro Sports Fanatics – Atlanta Braves NL East
https://t.co/AAsJZ0aidU @Braves
— Peter Maiorano (@peter_maiorano) March 1, 2023
Month two is in the books for Major League Baseball. The truth is beginning to emerge. Some of the early sprinters have been overtaken by the joggers. Surprises may be in store for us as we enter the summer months. Things have started off a little different when you compare 2022 to 2023. Editing and Illustrations: Peter Maiorano & Dominick Maiorano. Featured image credit Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images.
