Atlanta Braves’ Freddie Freeman attempts a bunt against the Houston Astros in the first inning of spring training baseball game, Tuesday, March 22, 2016, in Kissimmee, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)Braves By The Numbers
100Total home runs hit by the Braves in 2015, the lowest total in the major leagues by 20.170Total home runs allowed by Braves’ pitchers in 2015, the sixth most in the National League.1107Total strikeouts by Braves’ hitters in 2015, down 262 from the year before. Ironically, the team scored the same number of runs (573) in each of the last two seasons.66.5The projected Braves’ win total by Las Vegas sportsbook Bovada which, if true, would put them neck-and-neck with the Phillies for the majors’ worst record. The same site had Atlanta winning 73.5 games a year ago.7Pitchers listed among the Braves’ top 10 prospects, according to MLB.com, the youngest being 18-year-old Kolby Allard, the oldest a pair of 23-year-olds in Aaron Blair and Tyrell Jenkins.
As the Braves begin their final year at Turner Field, a practically new team takes the field for the 2016 season.
Improved lineup
Ok, saying the Braves will hit better this year is like saying Steph Curry is a pretty good shooter. For Atlanta, there is nowhere to go but up after a historically bad 2015 at the plate. Here are just a few of the areas the team ranked dead last (as in 30th): runs, homers, total bases, slugging percentage and OPS (on-base plus slugging). No other team could have had a pitcher with a 3.02 ERA produce a 6-17 record. Needless to say, Shelby Miller wasn’t very torn up with the offseason trade to Arizona. That trade, though, was a coup for the Braves and the most immediate return will be at the top of the lineup in CF Ender Inciarte, who is a serious upgrade over Cameron Maybin. If Enciarte and Nick Markakis can produce at the top of the order that could mean big things for Freddie Freeman, who will also have the protection he needs in LF Hector Olivera and 3B Adonis Garcia. The other new addition is SS Erick Aybar, who brings a much more steady bat to the team than the traded Andrelton Simmons.
It’s Teheran and ?