The Braves won 106 games in 1998.

[SJ24]

I think this upcoming team has a chance to win 107+.

We are favored to win the NL East and have the best record in the NL per BetMGM.

We are favored to win the most games in the Major Leagues per Fangraphs.

But that's not enough for this fan.

10 thoughts about the lineup:

1. Ronald Acuna will be have a monstrous bounce back year and avoid injury.
2. Austin Riley has another incredible 6 WAR season.
3. Matt Olson has his best year as a Brave. Another 6 WAR contributor with 40 bombs.
4. Sean Murphy hits .250+ with 20 bombs and puts up a 4 WAR season in a dazzling debut behind the plate in Atlanta.
5. Ozzie Albies plays 155+ games.
6. Michael Harris proves last season was no fluke as he posts another 5 WAR campaign.
7. Marcell Ozuna re-focuses and puts together his best season since he was in St. Louis.
8. Orlando Arcia has a career year at shorstop.
9. Travis d'Arnaud and Eddie Rosario are positive contributors.
10. The lineup scores more runs than any Atlanta Braves team since 2003.

10 thoughts about the pitching:

1. Soroka bounces back and secures a spot in the rotation and produces like a number 3.
2. Fried is Fried.
3. Strider leads MLB in strikeouts and wins 20 games.
4. Kyle Wright wins 20 games. Again.
5. Morton shows no signs of his age and throws another 170 innings.
6. Jimenez is dominant in what proves to be the game's best bullpen.
7. McHugh continues his good work.
8. Yates pitches 50 innings.
9. Minter stays very good.
10. Raisel Iglesias notches 50 saves.

The bottom line: You are looking at a team that can have the best lineup, the best starting rotation, and the best bullpen in the entire Major Leagues.

A team this good may be unprecedented in Atlanta sports history. In the history of the Southland.

Enjoy the ride.

[CJ9]

Matzek being very good despite being out with Tommy John is somehow not the craziest thing on this list.

[SJ24]

Matzek being very good despite being out with Tommy John is somehow not the craziest thing on this list.

What are the main things you disagree with? Let's hash it out.

[CyYoung31]

So what I gather from that post is that you think the Braves will win 130 games this season.

[SJ24]

So what I gather from that post is that you think the Braves will win 130 games this season.

107+.

This is a proven 100 win base line team.

We are projected #1 in W, run differential, and R per game on Fangraphs.

I think we perform to the upside.

I'm calling for somewhere around +250 in run differential.

We are basically a better version of the Dodgers of last year (111 wins). They had Freeman, Betts, and Turner put up 5 WAR. I think Acuna, Olson, Riley, and Harris do that.

With a better rotation and bullpen.

They had Kershaw, Gonsolin, Anderson (career year), and Urias. We are going to have Fried, Strider, Wright, Morton, Soroka, and a couple kids in the wings.

[CyYoung31]

107+.

This is a proven 100 win base line team.

We are projected #1 in W, run differential, and R per game on Fangraphs.

I think we perform to the upside.

I'm calling for somewhere around +250 in run differential.

We are basically a better version of the Dodgers of last year (111 wins). They had Freeman, Betts, and Turner put up 5 WAR. I think Acuna, Olson, Riley, and Harris do that.

With a better rotation and bullpen.

They had Kershaw, Gonsolin, Anderson (career year), and Urias. We are going to have Fried, Strider, Wright, Morton, Soroka, and a couple kids in the wings.

If every player on our roster has a career year and stays healthy, we will win way more than 107 games.

Which is exactly why it won’t happen. There’s a reason the most wins in a season is only 116 and a 114 has only been done three times in history. Dodgers last year were a historically good team. The Braves being better than that this year would be like winning the lottery. The Braves winning 120+ would be like winning the lottery twice.

[bravesfanMatt]

With the new balanced schedule, I am not sure anyone will win that many games going forward. You won't have a case where there are 2 good teams just beating snot out of the weak division.

[thewupk]

With the new balanced schedule, I am not sure anyone will win that many games going forward. You won't have a case where there are 2 good teams just beating snot out of the weak division.

But now we get to play all the dog**** teams

[SJ24]

If every player on our roster has a career year and stays healthy, we will win way more than 107 games.

Which is exactly why it won’t happen. There’s a reason the most wins in a season is only 116 and a 114 has only been done three times in history. Dodgers last year were a historically good team. The Braves being better than that this year would be like winning the lottery. The Braves winning 120+ would be like winning the lottery twice.

I did not say every player will have a career year. That will not happen (most likely).

We are very similar to that Dodgers team from last year.

[Enscheff]

Well, you’ve never been wrong in the past, and you know athletes…so I’m convinced.

[UNCBlue012]

I think Atlanta has a 105-win ceiling (give or take) but I'm expecting 95 - 100 wins, which is fantastic. Injuries, regression and bad seasons happen.

[bravesfanforlife88]

I think Atlanta has a 105-win ceiling (give or take) but I'm expecting 95 - 100 wins, which is fantastic. Injuries, regression and bad seasons happen.

Either way, I hope that it is settled a week or so before the end of the season.

It seemed last year like the team was flat out worn down after the neck and neck race through the last game of the year.

[bravesfanMatt]

Either way, I hope that it is settled a week or so before the end of the season.

It seemed last year like the team was flat out worn down after the neck and neck race through the last game of the year.

that and our 2 best pitchers were hurt and sick.. and we lost every day game and won the only night game... but MLB will only give us day games because they hate thier fans.

[SJ24]

Well, you’ve never been wrong in the past, and you know athletes…so I’m convinced.

This is rich.

You ridiculed anybody suggesting Riley could be Troy Glaus. Then Riley turned out better than Troy Glaus.

You ridiculed anybody hyping up Harris as more than Adam Eaton at his peak. Harris puts up 5 WAR playing in 75% of the games at age 22.

You ridiculed thethe incessantly for being bullish on Braves pitching. The Braves now probably have the best rotation in baseball with two bona fide aces.

Those are your big whiffs. I am sure there are more.

You think you're the smartest guy in every room. You bash everyone for being "homers", which is silly. Of course we're homers! We're Braves fans! Fans is short for fanatics! There is no rationality in this ****- it's professional sports. We have little to no effect on the outcome of the games. So my approach is to hope for the best case scenario- and root for it. Amplify the hype to an insane degree, because that's fun, and see what happens. Get that through your head. Just because someone roots for a 99th percentile outcome does not mean they are stupid or wrong. Most of us aren't here to prove anything to anonymous posters online.

[Hulavol]

This is rich.

You ridiculed anybody suggesting Riley could be Troy Glaus. Then Riley turned out better than Troy Glaus.

You ridiculed anybody hyping up Harris as more than Adam Eaton at his peak. Harris puts up 5 WAR playing in 75% of the games at age 22.

You ridiculed thethe incessantly for being bullish on Braves pitching. The Braves now probably have the best rotation in baseball with two bona fide aces.

Those are your big whiffs. I am sure there are more.

You think you're the smartest guy in every room. You bash everyone for being "homers", which is silly. Of course we're homers! We're Braves fans! Fans is short for fanatics! There is no rationality in this ****- it's professional sports. We have little to no effect on the outcome of the games. So my approach is to hope for the best case scenario- and root for it. Amplify the hype to an insane degree, because that's fun, and see what happens. Get that through your head. Just because someone roots for a 99th percentile outcome does not mean they are stupid or wrong. Most of us aren't here to prove anything to anonymous posters online.

Pretty dang well said.
Sometimes we can forget that baseball is just a game for our amusement and nothing more. Certainly not to get amped up or ugly about. And if I wanna believe that Marcel Ozuna is going to be HR king this year - that’s my right as a fan.
And another thing - there’s no need for me to bash another person - much less a Braves fan- for wanting some ridiculous outcome to come true!

[MadduxFanII]

1998 was an expansion year, and we took advantage of it -- we went 8-1 against the Diamondbacks with a 48-20 run differential. We also went 3-0 against Tampa in interleague play. That was also the year the Yankees won 114 games, the Astros won 102 and the Padres won 98.

[SJ24]

On pace for 135 wins.

How is everyone feeling?

Ozuna the big disappointment so far, to me.

[Heyward]

Swept St Louis w/o throwing Strider, Fried, Wright or Iglesias. Ozuna looks like ****. But otherwise, this team is insane.

[SJ24]

On pace for 111 wins and we've had a bunch of injuries.

[Heyward]

It's hard to stay at that pace all year. Our May schedule is brutal. Road series at Tor/Tex, Boston/LAD/Phi home games. We'll see what we're made of this month.