It's easy to look at the Atlanta Braves as they are currently configured and see little reason for anything more than unfounded hope.
Even after Monday night's impressive win at Toronto, Atlanta was tied for the fewest wins in the major leagues (14). Going into Monday, the Braves had the fourth worst run differential (minus-38) and the sixth fewest runs scored (147). Their 178 runs allowed was ninth worst.
If nothing else, such futility would seem a curious way to open the $672 million SunTrust Park and accompanying Battery Atlanta, which, along with the stadium, is supposed to have a combined worth of $1.1 billion.
But look past these current Braves and the second straight wasted MVP-type season of Freddie Freeman and it's also hard to imagine SunTrust not sizzling from far more than the summer heat in seasons to come.
Atlanta Braves' Freddie Freeman hits a three-run home run against the Toronto Blue Jays during the sixth inning of a baseball game in Toronto, Monday May 15, 2017. (Mark Blinch/The Canadian Press via AP)
Just Monday, MLBPipeline.com's Prospect Team of the Week for May 8-14 listed a trio of Braves among its picks, including Class AA stars Ronald Acuna and Travis Demeritte. Also singled out was Triple-A prospect Rio Ruiz.
And why not? In seven games in Mississippi last week, outfielder Acuna batted .552, swatted two home runs, drove in a preposterous 12 runs and stole four bases. Over those same seven games, second baseman Demeritte batted .393, clubbed four homers and drove in seven runs.
As for third baseman Ruiz, he also batted .393 for the week, hit one home run and four doubles and drove in four runs for Gwinnett.
But as good as that sounds for the 2018 season and beyond, it's no better than what the future Atlanta pitchers are achieving in the minors.
Nineteen-year-old lefty Joey Wentz struck out seven in five scoreless innings for Class A Rome over the weekend. He threw 48 of his 73 pitches for strikes and gave up five hits and no walks. However, Rome's offense wasn't able to get much going and, despite the effort, Wentz was stuck with a no-decision.
Lucas Sims enjoyed an even better outing with Gwinnett, the 23-year-old improving to 4-0 for the season by striking out 10 and pitching 6 2/3 scoreless innings in a 6-2 win over Columbus. You can't fault the Braves for slowly and cautiously bringing along all these prospects - especially pitchers - but it seems as if Sims has earned at least one call-up to SunTrust.
He gave up just two hits and a walk in that game and has posted two scoreless starts this season. He owns a 2.16 ERA through seven starts spanning 41 2/3 innings.
While that was happening, teenager Kolby Allard threw five scoreless innings for the Mississippi Braves. And fellow 19-year-old Mike Soroka is also tearing it up for those Double-A Braves, the big Canadian righty averaging 8.3 strikeouts per nine innings thus far in his brief career.
Will all of these guys make it in the major leagues? Probably not. Injuries, demeanor and the ability to adjust to superior hitting are all but certain to derail at least one or two of these budding stars.
But this is also worth noting in a world that seems to demand instant gratification and results: Not three weeks ago, Braves rookie shortstop Dansby Swanson was being trashed by many tomahawk choppers as a total bust. But after two at-bats Monday night in Toronto, the former Vanderbilt great had driven in two runs and improved his hitting streak to seven straight games.
Does that mean he's arrived? That Swanson will go on to raise his .175 batting average to .275 by season's end? Probably not. But as manager Brian Snitker said of Swanson over the weekend, "He's getting there. I mean, he's doing some things and he's fine."
Look inside the numbers, past the obvious dearth of wins and the antique big-league arms and an offense that offends only Braves Nation outside of the fabulous Freeman, and it's not unrealistic to believe this once-proud franchise again will be fine, both at the plate and on the mound.
Maybe not this season. But soon enough for folks to visit SunTrust Park for more than the park itself.
Contact Mark Wiedmer at mwiedmer@timesfreepress.com.