Braves Look For Sixth Straight NL East Title
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First Freddie, now Dansby. Why the Atlanta Braves will remain the dominant NL East team they have been during their most recent dynasty.
Atlanta, GA (PSF) - 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 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.
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.
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.
