MLB Executives Discussing Strategies To Beat Atlanta Braves

The Braves have hit 232 home runs in 120 games this season, putting them on pace for 313, which would break MLB’s single-season record. In practically every significant statistical category, Atlanta is in first place or extremely close to it, and thus season, not a single starting player has had a below-average performance.

Baseball’s finest club boasts an offensive lineup that has it all: star power at the top, balance between righties and lefties, amazing productivity throughout the lineup, and a solid group of depth backups. And as the regular season’s final month draws closer, the Braves’ offense is solidifying its claim to be the best offensive in baseball history.

Ahead of that four-game set, ESPN asked 10 executives three questions about the Braves: What makes them so dangerous? Do they have any weaknesses? Which teams have what it takes to knock them out of the playoffs?

What makes them so dangerous?

“They can beat you in every phase of the game,” one NL executive said. “The length of their lineup is as good as I can recall.”

Seven players on the Atlanta squad have hit at least 20 home runs, which is three more than the next-closest team. In terms of batting average, slugging, and OPS, its 7-8-9 hitters are the best in MLB. High-ranking baseball executives are impressed by the Braves’ offensive for a variety of reasons, but their ability to cause damage from the top of the lineup to the bottom is only one of them.

“They’re balanced, with power from both sides of the plate,” one executive said.

This is how one executive put it best:

“I think they are dangerous because of their lineup depth. They’ve got nine guys who can beat you offensively every single night. And they can do it in a number of different ways — they hit the homer, run the bases, etc. It would be difficult to imagine them having a weeklong, teamwide slump. So they should be able to score runs regardless of who is hot at that moment in time. There truly is not a safe lead. It will be really hard to keep them down for that many games.

“Plus, they can pitch. Their starting rotation is top-heavy, which is exactly what you want in the postseason. They can roll out a top-of-the-rotation kind of starter in each of the first few games of a series, so they can match up with anyone.”

Do Braves have a weakness?

Atlanta’s bullpen has a 4.24 ERA before the seventh inning, which ranks 16th in MLB, according ESPN Stats & Information. Comparatively, they are tied for second with a 3.14 ERA after the seventh inning. Their proportion of inherited runners left on the field is merely league average.

“[I’m] nitpicking [here],” one executive said. “Hard-throwing bullpens usually step up in the postseason for the winner, and the Braves’ bullpen ranks 28th in number of pitches 96 mph or above.

The crucial term here is “nitpicking”. The closest thing opponents could find to a “weakness” was the bullpen, which was mentioned in a few of responses.

“Maybe you can get to their middle relief,” one American League executive said. “If they get down early and throw a minus reliever, you might be able to extend a lead. But that’s any team.”

“Their weakness is probably a result of their strength,” another executive said. “Which is that their bench players really haven’t played much this year, because their regulars play every single day. If they have to rely on their bench at critical points in a series, it’s hard to predict how that might go.”

Which NL team is best equipped to beat them in the playoffs?

The Brewers’ Big 3 have combined to play in 18 playoff games, matching Morton’s career total of 18, but their postseason pitching performance will be crucial. When Woodruff made his comeback from injury in August, the trio’s collective ERA was 3.12. Milwaukee might be a difficult opponent when he gets into form.

The Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies, according to executives, have the best chances of defeating the Braves. However, a few respondents also included the Milwaukee Brewers. The National League’s hottest team is them.

“I would take Milwaukee behind the Dodgers,” one executive said. “Woodruff’s injury might be a blessing in disguise. They did fine without him and he’ll be fresh. More fresh than [Aaron] Nola and [Zack] Wheeler who carry the load for the Phillies.”

Another executive echoed this sentiment: “If it’s a five-game series, the Brewers’ rotation of Burnes/Woodruff/Peralta can beat anybody.”

“The Phillies have the hardest-throwing bullpen in baseball [based on total number of pitches above 96 mph] and have the power bats to get hot,” another executive said.

Several executives believe that even though the Phillies defeated the Braves in four games in October of last year, they are not much more dangerous to Atlanta than the Dodgers are.

“The Dodgers’ talent, experience and consistency give them the best shot at taking a playoff series,” one executive said.

“The The Dodgers share a lot of the same hitter run value numbers vs. pitching as the Braves, and have more hard-throwing relievers, who are successful [in October],” he said. “The Dodgers are ranked first in pitcher run value when a pitch is 96 mph or above.”

In essence, the Dodgers behind the Braves in the most of offensive stats, averaging 5.6 runs per game to Atlanta’s 5.8. But because of a string of pitching ailments, they only have the seventh-best ERA in the NL. However, Clayton Kershaw has made a full recovery from an injury and is unfazed.

When you inquire about the Atlanta Braves’ starting lineup, the opposition players become hushed and even reverent. The place of overstatement and skepticism is taken with sweeping assertions, gushing praise, and unwavering admiration.

“It’s the best lineup I’ve ever faced,” one National League pitcher offered.

“Every night someone new is gonna get you,” an American League hitter whose team recently faced the Braves said. “Or all of them get you, and then you’re f—ed.”

“There’s no break in the lineup. Everyone is a bopper and can burn you at any moment,” another AL hitter lamented. “It’s exhausting.”

 

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