By Daniel Wright
Curtis Compton/Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Game 7 of the NLCS. A game that, according to almost all of the analysts, experts, predictions, and simulations should not have been played. A series that the Dodgers should have won in 6, 5, or even 4. The Braves had something to say about that. They made it to Game 7 and led until Braves’ pitchers A.J. Minter and Chris Martin gave up the tying and winning home runs in the 6th and 7th innings to Dodgers’ players Kike Hernandez and Cody Bellinger (Bellinger happened to dislocate his shoulder in celebration with Hernandez after going long...serves him right). Ultimately, the Braves lost, the Curse broke the hearts of millions, and the Dodgers went on to beat the Rays in 6 games in the World Series. Heartbroken and devastated, the Braves moved into the offseason with roster work to do.
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Coming into 2021, the Braves had two major needs to address: the starting pitching rotation and the batting order. The rotation was quickly fixed with the addition of veterans Charlie Morton (returning to the Braves after being traded in ‘08) and southpaw Drew “Smiles” Smyly before the end of November. These two join the already dangerous Mike Soroka and Max Fried, as well as budding rookie Ian Anderson. The batting issue took a lot longer to resolve. In the process, the Braves were rumored to be in on sluggers Joc Pederson and Kris Bryant as well as superstar catcher J.T. Realmuto and future Hall of Fame 3rd Baseman Nolan Arenado. The “Slugger Saga” continued for months as Braves fans grew more and more nervous.
Atlanta ended up bringing back integral 2020 piece Marcell Ozuna on a 4-year $65 million deal. Ozuna brings back his dangerous plate presence behind reigning MVP Freddie Freeman. In 2020, Ozuna was good for 77 hits over 228 plate appearances, 18 home runs, a .338 batting average, 56 RBIs, and a 1.067 OPS. If none of that made sense to you, just know that Ozuna had a really, really good year. It was good enough to put at 1st in home runs, 3rd in batting average, and 6th in MVP voting. Bringing back Ozuna keeps the core of the Braves lineup intact, hopefully continuing the domination of one of baseball’s best offenses.
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Most baseball fans and analysts would not say that the Braves are the best team in baseball; in fact, most would put them at 5 or 6. And I’m not saying the Braves are the best, but you don’t have to be the best on paper to win it all in October. (Look at the 2019 Nationals for an example.) The Braves have a couple of things going for them over their division rival Mets and Phillies.
First off, the Phillies are the same team they’ve been for the past three years, and there is nothing to show that they will progress from their typical 81-81 or below. The Mets, led by billionaire owner Steve Cohen, made some massive moves, building one of the best teams on paper in MLB. Despite how good the Mets are on paper, they are putting an entirely new group of players together, and there is nothing to show that they will play well together to be the best team in baseball. Oh, also, there’s the Nationals, but Juan Soto and Trae Turner are not enough to win the World Series. On the other hand, the Braves, specifically this lineup of players, have experience playing together and winning together. In addition to that, they have won the NL East Pennant three years in a row. This division is the Braves’ until they lose it.
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Presumably, they have the Dodgers and Padres standing between them and the Big Dance. The Dodgers are hands down, the best team in baseball. However, the Braves beat every pitcher in their rotation at some point last year, mostly during the NLCS. Bottom line: the Braves can handle and dismantle the Dodgers. Luckily for us, we won’t have to worry about the Dodgers and Padres because they will likely face each other before the Braves could play either one. The Padres also pose a massive threat with the offensive duo of Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado. Also, they have an insanely talented rotation with Cy Young winner Blake Snell and former Cubs’ ace Yu Darvish. The Padres should be easier to beat than the Dodgers just because their talent does not go as deep into the lineup as the Dodgers’ does.
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All of that information leads us to this: why the Braves, despite not being the best team, will win the World Series in 2021. Ultimately, the Braves’ offensive strength and pitching expertise and experience coupled with favorable opponents in the playoffs will carry the Braves at least to the NLCS. They were less than a dozen outs from the World Series in 2020. Their pitching failed them a bit, but those problems have been solved. Whoever they face in the NLCS will give them some problems, but the veteran experience of guys like Charlie Morton and Freddie Freeman plus the young energy of Ronald Acuna Jr. and Ozzie Albies will propel the Braves to the big dance. They know what they want and, in a close match, motivation beats skill. The Braves are hungry, motivated, and in search of glory, and they will win the World Series in 2021.
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