State of the Braves

Starting pitching, shortstop, outfield, and bullpen are all areas the Braves should target this offseason. But which areas will they prioritize? In this episode, I give you six different packages of moves the Braves could make to solidify the team, and I give you my favorite. Let me know which one you like best, or if there is a different strategy you would employ.

It's without debate that the Braves would not have sniffed the playoffs without the heroics of their starting rotation. Even with Spencer Strider going down with injury, Chris Sale, Max Fried, Reynaldo Lopez, and rookie Spencer Schwellenbach were terrific. Can they run it back in 2025 as Strider returns? The biggest question is, will Max Fried exit via free agency?

The Braves hire their new hitting coach Tim Hyers from the Texas Rangers. Will he bring a new hitting approach to the Braves?

After Brian Snitker made comments that the entire Braves' coach staff would return for 2025, Kevin Seitzer and two other coaches were fired by the Braves' front office. How much was Seitzer to blame for the Braves 2024 offensive failures? We'll discuss his comments after being fired and analyze what the Braves can do to improve moving forward. We also discuss Jeff Francoeur's recent comments on the Braves needing to address the shortstop position.

Despite all five Braves infielders being all-stars in 2023, the 2024 version of the Braves infield was a mixture of disappointing regression and injuries. How the the Braves' infield rebound to help the Braves reclaim the NL East and become World Series favorites in 2025?

The trying 2024 season ends abruptly for the Braves as the Padres sweep them 2-0 in the wild card round of the MLB playoffs. The Chris Sale injury and a lack of offense sunk the team. How much of the season can be blamed on injuries, and what do the Braves need to do in the offseason to strengthen their roster moving forward?

Last week it looked unlikely that the Braves would make the playoffs. Then briefly it looked like a lock. Then it required the Braves to beat the Mets in the final game of the year. Thankfully, the Braves got it done, but they had to do it without their ace, Chris Sale. Now, without an off day and without Sale, the Braves will have to figure out who is pitching in game 1 of their series against the Padres. It's been a season of constant injuries and challenges. We'll see if the Braves have a postseason run in them. At least they made the playoffs!

With Ozzie Albies' return, the Braves hope to earn the last wild card spot against the Mets with the upcoming series in Atlanta. Do they have what it takes? Will their style of power and pitching be enough, while overcoming all of the many obstacles the 2024 season has brought? We also discuss Chipper Jones' recent comments on the Braves' offensive philosophy from the top down, and the weaknesses of it that have been exposed this season.

As bad as the Braves' offense has been thanks to a combination of injuries and underperformance, the starting rotation and closer Raisel Iglesias have been spectacular this season. Can the pitching staff really drag this team into October? Or perhaps the offense can find new life in the last few weeks of the season. In a season filled with bad breaks and little magic, it may just take good ol' fashion grinding to get the job done. But the Mets aren't going to make it easy.

The Braves had a chance to win every game in the four-game set in Philly, but poor execution and questionable coaching decisions were all the Phillies needed to take 3 of 4 from the Braves and likely seal up the division. The Braves will have to bounce back in a big way after the disappointing result, as the Mets are only 1 game out of the final wild card spot held by the Braves.