ATLANTA — It is the first of May and the Atlanta Braves will start their second full month of baseball Tuesday evening against a division opponent, New York Mets, who currently lead the NL East.
With the start of a new month, if you know anything about baseball and the Braves, then you know the franchise is doing exceptionally well right now and fans have a lot to be excited about.
The question remains, however, how long will the Braves’ early-season success last before they go on a conventional slump and find themselves in a state where most fans predict they will land.
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The Braves (16-11) sit in second place in the National League East, trailing the Mets by 1 1/2 games and sitting ahead of the Phillies by two.
Exactly one year ago, the Braves were 10-13 and were six games behind first place in the NL East. A lot of the Braves’ success this season has come as a result of their improved offense as a few key players have stepped up in a big way in just 27 games against division opponents – the Phillies, Nationals and Mets – and the Chicago Cubs and Colorado Rockies.
As a team, the Braves are averaging 5.59 runs per game and have compiled a total of 151. In April 2017, Atlanta averaged 4.52 runs per game. In addition to the 150-plus runs recorded so far, the team leads the National League in batting average (.268) and on-base plus slugging (.781).
Ronald Acuna and Ozzie Albies are making a name for themselves this season. Albies shares a lead in the NL for the most runs (29) hits (34), doubles (12) and home runs (nine).
Acuna, the highly talented player who was recently promoted from Gwinnett, has recorded four doubles and a home run in five MLB games.
Dansby Swanson is playing at a higher level than where he was last April. The shortstop and Kennesaw, Georgia, native is hitting .287 in comparison with .156 in 2017. Freddie Freeman is also playing well.
From a hitting or offensive standpoint, the Braves are chopping. When it comes to pitching, however, there are a few things to consider. Mike Foltynewicz and Brandon McCarthy are the main pitchers for the Braves right now.
Julio Teheran has been inconsistent, and Sean Newcomb is still young and has some room to grow. As a unit, their ERA is 3.64 but the pitching staff’s walks (136) top the MLB.
As the season continues to unfold, it will be interesting to see how the Braves work out or rather improve their pitching situation. If the franchise plans to excel over the next couple months, pitching must become more consistent with some stability, along with the hitters keeping a solid batting average.
The Braves begin their three-game road trip against the Mets at 7:10 p.m.