Second Guessers Special: Unfilled Off-Season Wish List

[nsacpi]

Does anyone think this team (as it stands) can get past the first round?

There is the minor matter of the regular season. I don't take anything for granted. The NL has a bunch of teams that project to be around .500. One or two of them will catch some breaks and win 90 instead of 80 games.

But to answer your question. Anything can happen in a 5 game series. We could lose to an inferior team or beat a superior team.

 

[Heyward]

In a game against the best pitcher in baseball, Fredi put out a lineup that included our worst OF for run prevention without doing anything really dumb (like putting Gattis in CF) and it bit us in the ass. Game 3 you can pin on Julio tanking but if we didn't have some hits fall in game one that Justin catches in LF or Jason catches in RF maybe the whole dynamic of the game changes.

We scored 1 run, Kershaw was too good that game.

Nothing Fredi would of done changes that outcome.

 

[Heyward]

Does anyone think this team (as it stands) can get past the first round?

Sure, depending on health and whatnot.

 

[zitothebrave]

We scored 1 run, Kershaw was too good that game.

Nothing Fredi would of done changes that outcome.

You don't know that. If the game was tied or we were down by less runs, we may have gotten more hits or better ABs. Medlen may have been more relaxed and pitched better later into the game. Baseball is a highly mental game.

 

[cajunrevenge]

Does anyone think this team (as it stands) can get past the first round?

This guy.

 

[AUTiger7222]

Does anyone think this team (as it stands) can get past the first round?

There's not a doubt in my mind that the 2014 Atlanta Braves can win the World Series. I've seen the 2006 Cardinals that won only 83 regular season games win the World Series. If they can do it then the 2014 Atlanta Braves can do it.

 

[Gary82]

There's not a doubt in my mind that the 2014 Atlanta Braves can win the World Series. I've seen the 2006 Cardinals that won only 83 regular season games win the World Series. If they can do it then the 2014 Atlanta Braves can do it.

Anything is possible.

 

[Heyward]

You don't know that. If the game was tied or we were down by less runs, we may have gotten more hits or better ABs. Medlen may have been more relaxed and pitched better later into the game. Baseball is a highly mental game.

Would that change Kershaw allowing 1 run through 7 innings?

HIGHLY doubt it, boss.

 

[Carp]

Does anyone think this team (as it stands) can get past the first round?

I don't feel confident in a short series going up against Kershaw (twice) and Greinke, Wainwright and Joe Kelly/Shelby Miller, Zimmerman and Strasburg, etc.

We have a good overall staff but no real ace to run up against these sort of pitchers.

 

[Heyward]

I don't feel confident in a short series going up against Kershaw (twice) and Greinke, Wainwright and Joe Kelly/Shelby Miller, Zimmerman and Strasburg, etc.

We have a good overall staff but no real ace to run up against these sort of pitchers.

Did you really list Kelly and Miller.

I could see Stras/Zimm/Greinke/Kershaw/Waino.

Minor/Julio are better than Miller/Kelly.

 

[Carp]

There's not a doubt in my mind that the 2014 Atlanta Braves can win the World Series. I've seen the 2006 Cardinals that won only 83 regular season games win the World Series. If they can do it then the 2014 Atlanta Braves can do it.

06 cards had a player in his prime who will (likely) go down as of 1 of the 10 best RH hitters in the history of the game. That kind of helps. If we had a Miguel Cabrera or Mike Trout on this team, it would be different.

 

[Heyward]

06 cards had a player in his prime who will (likely) go down as of 1 of the 10 best RH hitters in the history of the game. That kind of helps. If we had a Miguel Cabrera or Mike Trout on this team, it would be different.

You dont think Freeman/Heyward/JUp could get hot in a series and carry us?

 

[Carp]

You dont think Freeman/Heyward/JUp could get hot in a series and carry us?

I don't feel confident in one/all carrying us the entire playoffs to a WS like Pujols did. Cetainly any player could get hot for one series, like HanRam and Uribe last yr.

 

[Carp]

Did you really list Kelly and Miller.

I could see Stras/Zimm/Greinke/Kershaw/Waino.

Minor/Julio are better than Miller/Kelly.

No they aren't. Certainly not in production wise anyways. Granted the difference is probably pretty negligible at this time. But Kelly and Miller are their 2 and 3 pitchers, whereas as Minor and Julio are our 1 and 2 at this time.

 

[Heyward]

No they aren't. Certainly not in production wise anyways. Granted the difference is probably pretty negligible at this time. But Kelly and Miller are their 2 and 3 pitchers, whereas as Minor and Julio are our 1 and 2 at this time.

It's Waino-Wacha-Miller-Lynn/Kelly/Garcia/Martinez/others.

And Miller/Julio were damn near identical last year.

Both have been compared a bit in the last few years.

 

[nsacpi]

Current Vegas World Series odds:

1. Dodgers 13/2
2. Tigers 17/2
3. Yankees 10/1
4. Red Sox 12/1
5. Cards 12/1
6. Gnats 12/1
7. Rangers 14/1
8. Angels 16/1
9. Giants 16/1
10. Reds 18/1
11. Braves 20/1
12. A's 20/1
13. Blue Jays 20/1
14. Rays 22/1
15. Pirates 25/1
16. Orioles 33/1
17. Royals 33/1
18. Indians 33/1
19. Phillies 33/1
20. Mariners 33/1
21. Diamondbacks 40/1
22. Cubs 40/1
23. White Sox 40/1
24. Brewers 50/1
25. Padres 50/1
26. Rockies 66/1
27. Mets 66/1
28. Twins 75/1
29. Marlins 100/1
30. Astros 200/1

Keep in mind the odds reflect the betting action and teams with large fan bases will have odds that are a little bit optimistic due to that. If I were a betting man I'd throw a couple bucks each on the two Florida teams.

To get back to the Braves chances of winning the WS. They would appear to be about 1 in 20. Certainly not zero as some around here seem to believe. But we are also not the favorites. Far from it. We are a good team, but as some have pointed out we don't have the dominant starting pitching that some of the teams ahead of us have. Maybe someone(s) will emerge as a dominant starter for us, but we do not start out the season having that type of pitcher. This does not mean it would be wise to pay the price for acquiring such a pitcher. It is a recognition of reality. No more, no less.

Within the National League several contending teams have potentially dominant pitching. The Dodgers, Gnats, Cardinals and Reds all have the kind of starting pitchers who can potentially dominate a five or seven game series. No one ever promised this would be easy.

 

[Carp]

It's Waino-Wacha-Miller-Lynn/Kelly/Garcia/Martinez/others.

And Miller/Julio were damn near identical last year.

Both have been compared a bit in the last few years.

Forgot about Wacha. I got him and Kelly confused. Even still, the point remains.

 

[Heyward]

Forgot about Wacha. I got him and Kelly confused. Even still, the point remains.

Waino, sure.

Minor/Julio can match Miller/Wacha.

 

[AUTiger7222]

06 cards had a player in his prime who will (likely) go down as of 1 of the 10 best RH hitters in the history of the game. That kind of helps. If we had a Miguel Cabrera or Mike Trout on this team, it would be different.

So? It only takes 1 guy getting hot and putting a team on his back to have a huge impact on a playoff series. Freeman, Heyward or Justin are completely capable of doing that. We say opening week last year when Justin hit 6 homeruns or how many it was, what he's capable of doing when he gets hot.. We saw in 2011 when Freeman hit 4 homeruns and had a few other hits in a 4 game sweep of the Rockies right before the ASG of what he's able to do in a week when he gets hot. We've seen Heyward carry the Braves when he's been hot.

 

[AUTiger7222]

I'm just going to post this again since it got totally ignored the first time. You don't need dominating starting pitching to win the World Series or to even make it to the World Series. The Braves had dominate starting pitching for a decade and won 1 World Series with it. The 2014 Braves starting pitching staff is better than either of the teams that were in the 2008 World Series.

I'm sick of hearing about how the Braves starting rotation can't get the job done. That's utter BS! World Series rotations of the past few years.

2008 Rays

James Shields

Andy Sonnanstine

Matt Garza

Edwin Jackson

Scott Kazmir

Of that group, James Shields was the only one to throw 200 innings. Sonnanstine and Jackson both had ERA's well over 4 while giving up more hits than innings pitched. Only one of those guys had an ERA below 3.50 and that was Kazmir, who barely made the cut, at 3.49. That team didn't win the World Series but they at least made it there and won 97 games in the regular season. The Braves rotation of Medlen, Minor, Teheran, Beachy and then whoever the 5 is, is better than that Rays rotation. Now let's take a look at rotation of the team that beat them that year.

2008 Phillies

Cole Hamels

Jamie Moyer

Brett Meyers

Kyle Kendrick

Joe Blanton

Adam Eaton

Meyers, Kendrick, Blanton and Eaton all had ERA's well over 4, Kendrick and Eaton were over 5. Moyer, Meyers, Kendrick and Eaton all gave up more hits than innings pitched. Cole Hamels was the only starter they had post an ERA under 3.50 and he was at 3.09. Again, the Braves rotation is better than that one and they won the World Series. I was going to break down some other rotations but I think I made my point.