The 2024 Atlanta Braves were seemingly doomed from the start.
Ronald Acuña Jr., who was the reigning National League MVP at the time, and would-be ace Spencer Strider were lost for the season early, while catcher Sean Murphy was injured on opening day and never seemed to be himself.
Second baseman Ozzie Albies, center fielder Michael Harris and third baseman Austin Riley also missed significant time with injuries, newcomer Jarred Kelenic was way more miss than hit, and shortstop Orlando Arcia, coming off his first MLB All-Star season, was perhaps the worst hitter in the NL.
Still, led by strong pitching from NL Cy Young Award winner Chris Sale, Reynaldo Lopez and rookie Spencer Schwellenbach, plus a monster season from designated hitter Marcell Ozuna, manager Brian Snitker got the team to the postseason for the seventh year in a row, though the San Diego Padres ended it quickly for the wild-card Braves with a 2-0 sweep to add to Atlanta’s recent playoff fails.
So, with Acuña and Strider set to return sometime early in the season (both had surgery last year) and free-agent signee Jurickson Profar a major upgrade in left field, visions of getting back to the World Series for the first time since winning it in 2021 surely are dancing in Braves fans’ heads, right?