All through the season the CBS Sports activities MLB consultants will convey you a weekly Batting Round roundtable breaking down fairly a lot something. The newest information, a historic query, ideas about the future of baseball, all types of stuff. Final week we mentioned the struggling Phillies. This week we’ll sort out the Braves and their postseason hopes.
Will the Braves make the postseason?
Dayn Perry: I feel they are going to. The offense, whereas not nice, has been fairly unfortunate on a number of ranges, and that might right itself at any second. The rotation is getting more healthy, too, and the remaining schedule is not very powerful. Sure, the Braves badly miss their two injured superstars, and the NL East title is all however out of attain. Nevertheless, they nonetheless appear to be one of the best group on paper among the many golf equipment contending for that third and closing wild-card spot within the NL.
R.J. Anderson: Regardless of the accidents and regardless of the extended underperformance from a number of key contributors, I do imagine they’re going to make the playoffs. As Dayn wrote, they’re probably the most gifted group on paper amongst these in rivalry for the ultimate spot. That does not all the time matter, but it surely usually decides how these items go — particularly if you take their remaining schedule (the second weakest in the complete NL) into account.
Matt Snyder: I will say no. With Matt Olson having a misplaced season, the lineup after the prime three spots is dreadful and even when Olson bounces again, it is extremely top-heavy. The depth within the rotation is frightening, too, as a result of with Reynaldo López damage and the potential of Max Fried happening once more, you are left with Charlie Morton, who’s 40, rookie Spencer Schwellenbach (who is aware of when he hits a wall?) and Chris Sale, who hadn’t gone greater than 102 2/3 innings since 2019. He is at 134 2/3 this 12 months at age 35.
With the Diamondbacks and Padres cruising, that solely leaves one spot for the Braves. I do not actually belief the Mets, Cardinals or Giants, however I will say the Braves play poorly sufficient that considered one of them (or the Cubs or Reds) finds a technique to sneak in whereas the Braves miss out.
Mike Axisa: I lean no as nicely. They have been a sub-.500 group since mid-Could and so they’ve performed arguably their worst baseball of the season in August, so issues are getting worse, not higher. Getting solely two begins from Spencer Strider and 49 video games from Ronald Acuña Jr. is de facto, actually powerful. Shedding a top-five pitcher and a top-five place participant that early within the season takes its toll. Add in different long-term accidents (Ozzie Albies, Michael Harris II, and so forth.) and underperformers (Matt Olson), and yeah, I am nervous.
The Mets are proper there with the Braves within the wild-card race, and though believing within the Mets has burned me numerous instances over time, I similar to their offense and well being greater than I like Atlanta’s. The season sequence is tied 5-5 and so they’ll play three video games at Truist Park from Sept. 24-26. That is the penultimate sequence of the common season. The group that wins that sequence positions themselves higher within the wild-card race and likewise clinches the tiebreaker, which is like including one other recreation within the standings. I can not say I count on the Cardinals or Cubs to make an actual run at a wild-card spot. I feel it is Braves vs. Mets for one spot and I feel the Mets are in higher form proper now. I say Atlanta falls in need of the postseason.
