How Far Can the Atlanta Braves Go?

Dan Mohrmann

The Atlanta Braves are going to be fine. It’s only the beginning of May and critics are patting themselves on the back for picking the Mets over the 14-time division champions.

But what baseball “specialists” such as Jeff Brantley forget to take into account is that Atlanta has come into the season with a less polished squad and still walked away on top. The lesson that has been learned for the last three years is the Braves cannot be counted out until they actually lose the division. Credit this feat to Bobby Cox and John Schuerholz who together have been silencing critics for the last three years.

Schuerholz has been the factor in building a winning team by bringing in such players as Greg Maddux, Gary Sheffield, and Tim Hudson. He also built the core of the team through the minor league system, drafting longtime Braves Chipper and Andruw Jones, Tom Glavine, Rafael Furcal, and Marcus Giles.

Of course, having a solid core is nothing without guidance. This is where Cox comes in. The much deserved Manager of the Year was able to garner another division title and playoff appearance using 18 rookies. Cox is a manager who can take young and old talent and mold them into a contender regardless of the situation.

The Mets have certainly proven that they can jump out to an early lead, but when looking at the statistics their lead is not that impressive. They have only played six different teams at this point in the season. Of those six, only the Milwaukee Brewers are better than .500. They have beat up on the struggling Washington Nationals in three different series this season. The combined record of all the Mets’ opponents is 66-90.

The Braves have expanded their schedule to eight teams (something the Mets won’t do for another week) who have a combined record of 104-108. The Braves have yet to play Florida, the consensus worst team in the NL East, and have only faced the Nationals once.

Pitching has been the biggest question for the Braves so far this season. The starting rotation is a combined 5-12, which will change. Smoltz will get his form back and Hudson is starting to come around. His one hit gem against the Colorado Rockies is a sign of that.

To match the pitching, the offense also needs to come around. Marcus Giles will not be hovering around .200 all year and will prove himself as a suitable leadoff hitter for the club. Andruw will have another monster year, hitting at least 40 bombs, and he might even eclipse the 50 mark for the second time in a row. Chipper will put forth his usual offensive numbers, and usual means the numbers he was producing when he was healthy.

So there it is. There’s no reason to panic quite yet, even though the team is four games under .500 and seven back of the Mets. Just remember that in 2004, the Braves didn’t take over first until just before the All-Star break. So forget about “experts” such as Brantley and have patience. The season is only beginning.