The Royals scored a run in the bottom of the 10th to defeat the Braves 1-0.  As JonathanF and others have observed, even in a season as dispiriting and frustrating as this one, there are always moments worth watching.  I had to squint pretty hard to find it this afternoon, but then I realized we just saw the prototypical 2025 game, the Platonic ideal of a 2025 frustrating loss. That’s worth something, right? 

No, it was not.  There was nothing intriguing about the way they lost today, unless you enjoy offensive futility.  What was worth watching was the performance of starting pitcher Joey Wentz.  Joey went 6 and two thirds, shutting them out on one hit, with three walks and seven K’s.

But that start was wasted, as the Braves failed to score in ten innings, against nine (!) Royals pitchers.  In the 10th, after an Albies single, our guys had runners on first and third with no outs.  So in quintessential 2025 style, the next two batters struck out and Luke Williams lined out.  In the bottom of the tenth, the Royals score their own Manfred Man with dispatch, on an rbi single by Salvador Perez on the second pitch of the inning.

Fables of the Reconstruction, Reconstruction of the Fables

To rebuild or not to rebuild? Given the disaster that is the 2025 Braves season, we all agree things need to change. How much change is needed?  A total reconstruction, complete tear down and subsequent rebuild?  That would include trading many of the players currently under contract for next year and beyond.  Or should the Braves hang on to all or most of those players under contract, hoping for better health and better results next year? 

I’m not saying it’s reasonable to expect better health and better results from these guys.  But I can say there is tremendous risk to getting rid of most of your existing talent and starting over. 

Somebody recently said this current team is as bad as the terrible teams of the late 70’s and late 80’s.  It’s true the final win-loss record this year is going to be ugly.  Given the state of the pitching staff and now Ronald’s injury, we’re almost certainly looking at 90 plus losses.

But I lived through those earlier eras, and let me tell you, there is a lot more talent on this roster than on any of those teams.  Don’t forget, most of the prognosticators before this season projected the Braves to have the second-best record in baseball behind the Dodgers.  There is still talent to build from, albeit there are many more questions about the sustainability of that talent.  The dramatic declines of Ozzie and Harris, the mediocrity of Riley, and the fragility of the pitchers leave many questions.  And as several of you have noted, there is very little organizational depth in the minor leagues, thanks to international signing restrictions and poor drafting.

But we are not, thankfully, in nearly as bad a place as those earlier eras.  The rosters in the mid to late 70’s and mid to late 80’s were putrid.  And the Win/Loss records demonstrate that.  Here are the losses by season from 1985-1990: 96, 89, 92, 106, 97, 97.  And from 1975-1979: 94, 92, 101, 93, 94.  (By way of comparison, here are the losses in the last rebuild, 2015-2017:  95, 93, 90.)

Remember in that last rebuild, the Braves focused on acquiring as many young pitchers as they could.  They apparently believed that although TISNSTAAPP, stockpiling several dozen pitching prospects ought to yield a few quality big leaguers.

How did that work out? Who is left from all of the pitchers acquired in the great teardown/rebuild of 2015-2017?

Max Fried, acquired by trade as low minor leaguer in late 2014, turned out to be an unqualified success, but ultimately left for greener pastures.  AJ Minter, drafted in 2015, became one of the best relievers in the game over the last 6-7 years before his injury last year. Mike Soroka, first round pick in 2015, was an outstanding rookie in 2019, but we all know of his tragic injury history.  Ian Anderson, first round pick in 2016, had his moments on the big stage, including a couple of Octobers, before injuries derailed his career.  Kyle Wright, first round pick in 2017, had a twenty win season before his shoulder gave out.  Kolby Allard, 2015 1st rounder, and Kyle Muller and Bryse Wilson, 2016 draftees, all made it to the show but never established themselves. 

None of these guys are with the team now.  Who is?  Joey Wentz, first round pick from 2016.  The Braves traded him at the deadline exactly six years ago, and in the years since he has never proven he can be a capable big league starter.  Until now, that is.  Wentz has been a revelation since the Braves re-acquired him earlier this month. 

Watching his effort today was fun.  I look forward over the next couple of months to see if he is someone the Braves can count on beyond this year.

By the way, one other good thing happened today: RAJ’s injury is not to his Achilles tendon; he instead has a mild sprain of his calf muscle.

Like we said, sometimes you have to look pretty hard for things to feel good about.

Tomorrow is the trade deadline.  Even if the Braves decide to do something dramatic to shake things up before next season, it appears they will wait for the offseason.  Ozuna and Iglesias almost certainly won’t be Braves when the team plays tomorrow in Cincy, and probably Johnson and Bummer, but don’t look for many other departures.

For what it’s worth, I’m not ready to give up on the core of this team and their possibilities for contending over the next few years. But,

We’ve been on this shift too long
And the train conductor says
Take a break, Driver 8
Driver 8, take a break
We can reach our destination
But we’re still a ways away, but it’s still a ways away