It’s good to be the king, and despite a volatile offseason, the reigning World Series champions have set themselves up to remain on the throne.
A magical final two months of the 2021 regular season, kick-started by a perfect set of moves from general manager Alex Anthopoulos, carried the Atlanta Braves into the playoffs and an improbable World Series title.
Was it a fluke, as some national pundits have inferred, or some magical alignment of the stars (combined with the continued blessing that is Dave Roberts’ managing for the Los Angeles Dodgers)?
The Braves were indeed fortunate that late pickups Joc Pedersen, Eddie Rosario and Jorge Soler played well above what their previous teams had seen and that the bullpen, so often a major source of frustration, became lights out at the right time.
In the end, it doesn’t matter. The banner will be hung at Truist Park in a few days, rings will be handed out and expectations for a repeat will be sky high. Projections for the Braves range from 90-plus wins and title contender to 85 wins and a spot in the wild-card round.