Sounds like Pittsburgh. Crafty southpaw that writes about Atlanta Braves prospects for Outfield Fly Rule (
@OFRSports
) & co-host of the OFR Farm Report Podcast.
Ron Darling: “Tyler Matzek is the Braves version of Blake Treinen.”
I’m sorry, I must have missed Matzek giving up a game-winning walk-off during this series.
There’s a certain amount of poetic justice with Ronald Acuña catching the final out to win the division in the same area of the outfield where he injured his knee last season.
Dream scenario:
Braves wrap up the World Series at Truist Park on Sunday night.
Blooper celebrates on the field and takes off his head…
IT WAS COPPY ALL ALONG.
To the Fox Sports Ohio analyst who thinks Ozzie Albies doesn’t understand the difference between $35M and $85M, these are the languages he speaks:
English
Spanish
Dutch
Papiamentu
He probably understands it better than you do, buddy.
The list of Braves players with more home runs than William Contreras this season:
Austin Riley
Ozzie Albies
Marcell Ozuna
Contreras has been to the plate just nineteen times so far.
The Braves now have seven players who have hit at least 16 home runs this season.
The last time that happened?
Never.
As in, dating all the way back to 1871 in Atlanta, Milwaukee, or Boston.
Cuban INF Adeiny Hechavarría (33) has generated interest in several MLB teams. It could be a piece that fits into teams like the Miami Marlins.
Hechavarría spent his last two seasons in Japan (2021 and 2022) and hit .322 AVG (59-19, 2 HR) in Puerto Rico baseball this winter.
The best part about all of this (besides Chris Russo’s “retirement”) is when the Braves visit the Phillies to open the 2024 season, the Phillies won’t be hanging any banners.
The Braves deadline OF acquisitions of Duvall/Soler/Rosario/Pederson now have 694 PA, roughly a full season’s worth for a single player.
.254/.327/.506, 40 HR, 106 RBI, 2.8 fWAR
Remember that they got all this for Pablo Sandoval, Bryce Ball, Alex Jackson, and Kasey Kalich.
Alex Anthopoulos has pulled off trades with Washington, Houston, and Detroit today, signed Austin Riley to a long-term extension, and is probably making lopsided deals for his kids’ school supplies as we speak.
With Max Fried going on the injured list, this is the current starting rotation:
1. Ian Anderson
2. Josh Tomlin
3. Charlie Freeman
3. Blooper with a t-shirt cannon
4. A pitching machine
The Nationals’ Trevor Rosenthal has faced seven batters over three appearances so far this season. This is how it has gone:
1B
1B
BB
1B
1B
BB
BB
0.0 IP, 4 H, 7 R/ER, 3 BB, 0 K
At this point, he’d have to pitch 21 consecutive scoreless innings just to get his ERA down to 3.00.
Kyle Wright and Ronald Acuña Jr, and entered the league in 2018 while Austin Riley joined the club in 2019.
None of them know what it’s like not to win a division title.
Total money spent so far this offseason on MLB free agents:
Atlanta Braves - $64.25M
Minnesota Twins - $17.8M
Chicago White Sox - $17.8M
St. Louis Cardinals - $5M
Other 26 teams combined - $0
Josh Donaldson is making $23 million this season.
Based on his current 2.9 fWAR, he’s been worth...$23.2 million.
His contract has paid for itself before the end of July.
The Braves have made trades for competitive balance picks in the past. For example, they traded Victor Reyes to the Diamondbacks back in 2015 for the 75th pick in the draft.
Who did they draft with that pick?
A reliever from Texas A&M named A.J. Minter.
Freddie Freeman’s 11th-inning walk-off home run also achieved another milestone, it was the team’s 101st home run in just 58 games this season.
The 2015 Braves that went 67-95 hit just 100 home runs in a 162-game season.
Braves current home run leaders:
Matt Olson - 28
Ozzie Albies - 22
Ronald Acuña Jr - 21
Marcell Ozuna - 17
Austin Riley - 15
Sean Murphy - 14
Eddie Rosario - 14
Chris Sale is beginning to lap the field in the NL Cy Young race:
NL pitching fWAR leaders:
Chris Sale: 4.9
Christopher Sanchez: 3.8
Tyler Glasnow: 3.7
Dylan Cease: 3.5
Logan Webb: 3.5
Zack Wheeler: 3.5
Even if Cole Hamels doesn’t throw a pitch this season, if he helps Max Fried make the jump to an elite-level starter, that $6.7M salary will end up paying for itself.
Drew Smyly and Charlie Morton will combine to make $26M in 2021.
Cole Hamels and Mike Foltynewicz were scheduled to make a total of $24.4M in 2020.
It’s not tough to see the 2021 money being much more productive.
Guillermo Heredia has 43 plate appearances this season in 46 games and is unlikely to get many more in the near future. He’s the sword-swinging 26th man. And that’s ok.
The Joc Pederson move isn’t necessarily just for this season: he has a $10M option for next season with a $2.5M buyout. With Ronald Acuña likely being out for the start of next season, that gives the Braves a veteran OF to fill in for however long he’s needed.
In seven starts for Max Fried since coming off the injured list:
39.2 IP, 32 H, 12 ER, 13 BB, 35 K, 3 HR
2.72 ERA, 1.13 WHIP
This Braves team has a lot of problems right now but Max Fried isn’t one of them.
I imagine the Braves had seen enough of Adam Duvall in CF. He likely becomes the primary backup at all three OF spots, he’ll still get a fair amount of playing time. Hopefully it pushes Ozuna even further into the DH spot.
Dylan Lee’s first seven games for the Braves this season;
9.1 IP, 6 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 8 K
It appears that he is solidifying himself as the third LHP in the pen for the time being.
Mike Soroka’s Sunday start at Gwinnett would line him up to possibly make two starts there on 8/26 and 8/31…just in time for roster expansion on September 1st.
Ozzie Albies over his last nine games:
11-for-35, 2 2B, 3B, 3 HR, 15 RBI, 2 BB, 5 K, HBP
.314/.368/.686, 177 wRC+
He has driven in 34% of the Braves runs during that stretch.
Kirby Yates for Gwinnett on Tuesday:
1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
On Wednesday:
1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Pitching back-to-back nights was likely his last big test before joining the Braves bullpen.
Chip and BJ talking about whether Vaughn Grissom can make the adjustment to playing on such a big stage. Grissom played baseball near Dollywood just yesterday, the big time doesn’t scare him.