The day is coming. It may be Saturday or Sunday – that would be the easiest finish – but it’s at worst two wins away.
After a half-decade of retooling, the Braves will win the National League East. They’re primed to experience jubilation unknown to most of the roster, with Freddie Freeman and Julio Teheran the only two remaining from the last edition to spray champagne.
Defeating the Phillies once more this weekend ensures the inevitable. Otherwise the Braves likely celebrate in New York. They would rather clinch in front of the home fans, of course.
Imagine where this team was a mere 13 months ago. There were reasons for optimism, everyone knew Ronald Acuna was a stud, but an MLB investigation shrouded a cloud over a rebuild that was beginning to bear fruit.
Feels like eons ago, doesn’t it?
The Braves had a nice, if unspectacular spring training. There’s only so much one can learn from Grapefruit League play. There wasn’t a clear “this team is it” vibe probably felt in the, say, Astros clubhouse.
By mid-May, that vibe developed. The Braves got off to a hot start, rolling through the NL East and overcoming few trivial tasks.
As the season went on, they showed their backbone. There was the disaster in Chicago. They were pounded mercilessly by the Giants at SunTrust Park. They were four-game swept by Colorado. They were demolished by the great Red Sox, which prompted the 6-1 western trip that will win them the division.
The fact it’s so easy to remember the bad moments, and how the team successfully reacted, means there simply weren’t that many. It’s more difficult to remember all the late-game heroics, comebacks, pitching gems and Acuna leadoff homers.
Whatever the Braves do in the postseason is the proverbial cherry on top. Not to say it doesn’t matter, but the Braves’ season is already beyond a success.
Acuna is a pillar, perhaps the best young building block in the game. Mike Foltynewicz is unquestionable a key piece of the rotation moving forward. Freddie Freeman is still MVP-worthy. Ozzie Albies was an All-Star. Johan Camargo is “something” – starting third baseman, star utilityman, pick your spot. Dansby Swanson might be a gold glover; Ender Inciarte is a perpetual candidate. Manager Brian Snitker should be commended for how he’s handled such an inexperienced assembly.
And a short time after humiliation, the organization knows general manager Alex Anthopoulos is the right man for the job. He’s already built depth comparable to his former team, the Dodgers, who might be the Braves’ next focal point in the NLDS.
Everything they needed to do, they did. The Braves were a team that’s surprised, but they’re back among the NL contenders now. They’ll outlast Philadelphia, a team similar to themselves, and Washington, who’s controlled the East while the others undergo construction.
The division wasn’t what was expected. It’s fair to acknowledge that. It’s the majors nonetheless, and by the end of the day, the division could have three winning teams, even if it didn’t unfold as pundits predicted. The Braves made the most of those circumstances, as any good team would.
The Braves. Good team. It’s been a while, and it doesn’t look like they’ll have to worry about another rebuild for a long time.
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