The 2013 regular season was a magical one for the Atlanta Braves, as they finished 96-66 and won the NL East by a hefty 10 games. The team clicked on all aspects, led by Chris Johnson and Freddie Freeman on offense and Kris Medlen on the mound.
This season, the Braves find themselves in the same position, first place, but with an entirely different script. Injuries have riddled this team, starting with the elbow injury to Medlen, which saw him lose the entire 2014 season.
Along with Medlen, starting pitchers Gavin Floyd and Brandon Beachy found themselves on the disabled list currently. Beachy sits on the 60-day DL, while Floyd recently had season-ending surgery.
With a lack of starting pitching depth, youngster Julio Teheran will be called on to lead this team and is doing so this season. He holds a 2.34 ERA along with seven wins, but the veteran starters in the rotation have held this club back.
Offseason acquisitions Aaron Harang and Ervin Santana have ERA’s over 3.75 and look to have a lack of command so far this season. If the Braves want to win a division that features the Washington Nationals’ top-ranked pitching, these pitchers need to pick up their game.
It wouldn’t shock many if the Braves go after another top-of-the-line starter before the trade deadline, but given the team they have at the moment, it will be tough to stay with the Nationals with the rotation they have. Teheran is on pace for a great season, but he can’t carry this team.
On the offensive front, both Freeman’s and Johnson’s numbers are down from last season. This would not have been as big a problem had it not been for the injuries to the pitching staff. However, Freeman and Johnson are batting under .300 for the season and need to boost their numbers.
One positive for this offense is that it ranks fourth in the NL in home runs, led by catcher Evan Gattis and Justin Upton. Home runs are great, but with the 23rd-ranked team batting average, baserunners may not come with them.
A player to watch for the second half of the season is Andrelton Simmons, the second-year shortstop that the Braves see as the future of the position. Simmons has been underwhelming at the plate, holding a .248 average and five home runs.
Simmons is key to the Braves’ resurgence on offense, because if he can heat up, it makes the Braves lineup much scarier. With Giancarlo Stanton hitting home runs for the Miami Marlins, the Braves need to keep up, and Simmons could a big factor down the road.
The Braves could use some depth in the outfield, where B.J. Upton and Jason Heyward, who combined for a .225 batting average. Upton and Heyward were supposed to be stalwarts in this lineup, but are failing to produce. Thus, it wouldn’t be out of the question to see a move to sure up the offensive side of the outfield.
The Braves still sit tied for first place with the Nationals, a great position given the injuries. However, the Nationals are not in as much trouble with depth. The Braves may need to make a move or two to keep up in this division, but they remain a solid team.