No, I can’t poison you again with the low hanging fruit. But, that thing is still there and I know better than to think it is a coincidence.
Like Ozzie Albies and a broken bone. That is at least 2 of those from non contact swinging (end of elbow and this one). This clouds the option, but only a little. Do you really want to pay 4 million and send him on his way? It is only 3 million more for another year and then another option.
Chris Sale was more like Chris Inventory Liquidation. 5 runs given up in 5 innings is, to quote General Tom Sadler acting as “Hoyt”; “not too good.” But the end of season Braves offense made it seem easy, nonetheless. When Sale came out it was still 8 to 5 and the win probability on Gamecast was around 84% (not that the 2025 Braves aren’t fully capable of overcoming such odds).
Matt Olson was the only “zero” for the Braves offense (and this week he definitely deserves a break). Not only 0 for 5, but 4 of those were K’s. Platinum Sombrero. EVERYBODY else had at least one hit or one walk. The star was Michael Harris, II who went 3 for 5. Hunter Stratton had a scoreless inning and JOSE SUAREZ (there is that man again) got a save the long way by ending the game with 3 scoreless innings.
So, the main question for the Braves is “how do you replicate this offense?” It is difficult to believe that this is the same team before roughly game 100.
More of our division mates tonight. Finishing out the string. Hopefully, Drake Baldwin gets ROY and we get pick one by the slimmest of lottery odds.
Obviously, you keep Albies. Obviously, you hope HSK takes the option, and there is a reasonable possibility he does. If the shoe is on the other foot, I am not crazy about paying him $25 million or even more/longer because he got hot for 3 weeks for the Braves.
But even if Albies and HSK are on our roster and both playing well for most of 2026, we have a big glaring problem in the middle infield, and it isn’t clear that we have internal replacements on the horizon. I suppose we could try Nacho again at 2B, but I hope we have some sort of plan that is more than just hope.
As to why the team is suddenly hitting so well, I think it’s worth considering whether Hyers is paying off finally. There was a lot of chatter about our foul balls on the broadcast last night, and what are foul balls if not improved contact?
It’s not clear in principle whether foul balls are better contact or worse contact, actually, but I take your point. You remind me of a book called “The Kid Who Hit 1.000” (which I just found out was apparently rewriiten in 2002 to be more “with it.”) The plot from Wikipedia:
The Chicks, a (fictional) last place team in the American League, discover Dave King, a teenage hick and aspiring chicken farmer in backcountry Oklahoma who is found to have the ability to hit any ball delivered by any major-league pitcher in the strike zone – but always foul. Eventually he receives four pitches out of the strike zone and draws a walk, every time at bat, thus leading the Chicks to the league championship (an on-base percentage of 1.000 would be the highest in major league history by a very large margin). In his final at bat, in the seventh game of the World Series, he hits a home run to win the game and series (thus achieving a lifetime batting average of 1/1, or 1.000, albeit in postseason play only). After the season, having earned enough money to set up a chicken farm, King does so and retires from baseball
My expectation is we’ll pick up Ozzie’s option but Nacho will play quite a bit at second as well like Graffanino in 1997. Next year will probably be Ozzie’s last in Atlanta.
Ozzie has 2 option years at $7M per so I think we have him through 2027. He was worth 2 WAR this year having a craptastic season so he is still a bargain.
Well, that’s news… challenge system adopted for 2026 season… 2 ABS challenges per 9 innings, more for extras, & only catcher, batter or pitcher can issue challenges.
https://www.mlb.com/news/abs-challenge-system-mlb-2026
Kim is going to opt out. I don’t think there’s any question. And I think you have to pay him or it’s another year+ with SS being an offensive black hole. Couple that with Ozzie’s uncertainty and MH2’s insane streakiness, you’re looking at 7-8-9 in your order causing serious problems again in 2026.
I think 2023 spoiled us. Every team has 7-8-9 causing serious problems from time to time. But it makes a huge difference whether that 7-8-9 is streaky but occasionally great, like MH2, or just a black hole, like Nick Allen. Depression is watching your team with the feeling that when your next inning starts with the #6 hole that you can safely go out for dinner for 30 minutes certain that you will miss no critical offensive moment, The knowledge that your #7 could emerge from his current funk at any moment is a different emotion: hope.
I agree that Kim will probably opt out, just hoping he doesn’t. I’ve mentioned this several times but it’s crazy to me that execs sign these negative EV deals with opt outs after each year. If your player is good, you get fair value for one season. If he’s bad, you get bad value for X seasons. In Kim’s case, there was little chance he would be good enough to make 2025 worth it to the Rays, and if he was anywhere decent, they would lose him for 2026, but just in case he was horrendous, they would be on the hook for 2026 too.
I’m heading to Truist soon for tonight’s game. Looking forward to seeing the September version of this team, especially with the Millionaire on the mound.
If you had told me in March that I’d be going to a game in the last week of the season with the Braves going for their 10th straight, I would have assumed that the division was probably clinched and we were prepping for October.
As it is, at least I grabbed seats near the Braves dugout for a ridiculously cheap price. And maybe we will see Charlie Morton up close.
Yup, ain’t that the truth. Six left, why not go out w/ a bang?
Only thing I have left to really root for is the Mets rather expensive & potentially amusing playoff whiff. (In fact, as of this instant, both the Mets & Astros are out of the post-season picture.)
Headed to Yankee Stadium to see a team that’s 20 games over .500 play a club that’s 40 games under .500.
The Jays just DFA’d Alek Manoah. Any reason the Braves shouldn’t pick him up? He’s gotta be better than Bryce Elder.
One needs an elbow to be better than Bryce
David Peterson went 1 1/3 while giving up 5 runs. Mets in free fall.
The bad news is that it may lock up ROY for Cade Horton.
As much as I’d hate for the Mets to come back, I’d be delighted for Horton to get roughed up.
EDIT. Just saw that Horton only went three innings. The Mets are coming back against Soroka.
Payamps’ entry is player 71 used by the Braves. A new MLB record. The Orioles were at 70 coming into tonight, so they are in the race as well.
Didn’t know there such a thing as a Joel Payamps, let alone on the Braves roster. Looks like a nice pickup.
Another excellent start by Waldrep. Now the offense needs to do their part.
EDIT. Thanks, Ronald
Yeah, I was probably a bit rash thinking we’d need a new 2B next year. Ozzie’s option will almost definitely be picked up. Its more I don’t trust him to stay healthy at all anymore. But if you’re going to break a hamate bone, doing it in the last week of the season is the best time.
And yeah, I really don’t see Kim exercising his player option. Crazy deal from TB perspective.
Sadly, I think Kim is playing his way into a big contract with someone else.
I agree, but to play devil’s advocate, imagine he’s not on the Braves, and he’s a free agent coming off a season in which he hit .250 with a hair below .700 OPS with negative defensive metrics and 30 years old. Just how big a contract would you give him considering the total picture? I would be inclined toward a pillow deal personally. He has played really well for the past few weeks and it makes a huge difference for us compared to Allen, but the big picture perspective is you have a shortstop who is on the wrong side of 30 with declining defense who hasn’t had star-level output since 2023, a year when just about everybody slugged.
We have won 10 in a row and 10 of our last 11. It would seem that we should be leaving Miami in the dust. Unfortunately Miami has also won 10 of 11 and we’re 2 games out with 4 to play. Crazy that both teams are finishing so strong
Recapped