Question: so when is the appropriate time to panic if you are a Braves fan

[DzynKingRTR]

It is just getting pathetic at this point. Olson is useless. Acuna is useless. Players keep getting hurt. No one is hitting except for Ozuna. We are over 40 games in and it is getting worse.
Now for all the sunshine pumpers that keep throwing 2021 out there, you fail to remember that the division stunk that year. It did not matter that the Braves did not get above .500 until August. No one in the division was good then. That is not the case thus year. Something is seriously wrong.

 

[CB4]

As mentioned in a previous thread, I only have a passing interest in the Braves and MLB in general these days. I only knew the Braves were on ESPN tonight because I was scrolling through the tv for my father in law (he has dementia and I try to get him engaged in a game sometimes to simply get him off watching the same show over and again).

I do check the outcome the next day (summary and box). You are exactly correct. The Braves have been fortunate the past several years in terms of the competition in the division. This year the injuries are piling up and outside of Ozuna (whoever thought he would be your “offensive bell cow”?) the hitting is anemic.

It is like power outage the Braves experienced in the playoffs last fall has continued this spring.

 

[B1GTide]

It is a long season. Remember the last championship season? Not so long ago.

Just make the playoffs and get hot going in.

 

[DzynKingRTR]

It is a long season. Remember the last championship season? Not so long ago.

Just make the playoffs and get hot going in.

did you even bother to read what I wrote?

I know it is a long season. I know we won it all recently. Again the division stunk that year and we caught lightning in a bottle. Look at the current numbers. Actually watch a game. Acuna is just awful. His body language will tell you something is wrong. The whole team chemistry is off. Ozuna is the only player that seems to care. I know Washington wasn't really involved in hitting, but is his absence really throwing the team off?

 

[Cruloc]

The Braves likely still make the playoffs so I don't think its panic time.

Watched a bit of the game last night.....Elder just didn't have it. Then Acuna completely misplayed a fly ball and looked like a kid in little league that got stuck in RF. That's when I turned it off.

 

[Cruloc]

did you even bother to read what I wrote?

I know it is a long season. I know we won it all recently. Again the division stunk that year and we caught lightning in a bottle. Look at the current numbers. Actually watch a game. Acuna is just awful. His body language will tell you something is wrong. The whole team chemistry is off. Ozuna is the only player that seems to care. I know Washington wasn't really involved in hitting, but is his absence really throwing the team off?

You are right....something looks/feels off with Acuna. Olson looked to be getting into a groove last week, so hopefully his bat is coming around.

When is Austin Riley coming back? That'll probably help. Riley is still 3rd on the team in WAR at 1.1.

Albies isn't doing bad, he's hitting .279.

Ozuna though....he's tearing it up. Leads the team in most offensive categories.

Pitching....Sale, Fried, Morton and Lopez are doing well. They seem to still be searching for a 5th guy. Iglesias and Jimenez are doing fine.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

No where near the time to panic if you're a Braves fan. It is a very long season and we're not even into June. Y'all will be fine but the Phillies look to be a handful this season.

 

[Cruloc]

One other thing.....when they went out to Seattle and lost 2 out of 3, they didn't have a day off for the flight. Then they turned around and flew to LA to play a hot Dodgers team.

Came home for 2 vs Boston, then to NY to play the Mets for 3. And despite that game winning HR by the Mets to end the series, the Braves won 6 out of 7.....right after losing 6 out of 8.

The last 3 games though....they've scored 1 run each game. The pitching hasn't shown up in 2 of 3 of their last games. Last night they probably weren't going to win going against Darvish and his scoreless inning streak.

 

[tusks_n_raider]

Well at this point I'd almost rather Philly just win the East and then go into Coasting Mode in Aug/Sept and then see what it's like to catch the Hot WC Team in the Playoffs.

Winning the East seems to almost always hurt us when it counts. It's like a Bad Meme at this point for ATL to hang NL East Pennants.

But yes something is off with the team right now and especially Acuna.

His Body Language is just negative and he looks like he just doesn't care.

It could be something going on in his personal life that no one knows about... I dunno.

But it's disappointing as a Fan to see him be so Apathetic and Lazy.

Considering our SP injuries our Pitching has seemed to over deliver for the most part but the Hitting has been abysmal besides the Big Bear.

It's also not far fetched to say we are missing Ron Washington's infectious energy.

He just exudes positivity and was really beloved by the players and fans.

I bet if you asked players privately would they rather have Snit or Ron as the MGR they'd say Ron.

But all we can do is watch and hope it gets better.

At least we started hot so we're not out of it or anything.

In the mid-late 80's when I 1st started watching never we had hope and I don't think we even had a team finish above .500 and a few times were under .400.

I don't think it's time to panic yet I guess is what I'm saying.

If we go into the AS Break with a losing record and are out by 10+ games and still look like right now then yeah we might have a major problem.

 

[tusks_n_raider]

A little something to lighten the mood.

This past weekend Glavine and Avery made an appearance at a Mom-n-Pop Baseball Card shop in TN.

For fun the owners gave Glavine some unopened '88 Topps and Avery some '89 Topps to see if they could pull their own Rookie Cards and Avery actually got his and signed it on the spot!!

This is just so cool to me. I loved Avery and he was so dang good before his injury.

 

[Tide&True]

It's way to early to panic if you are a Braves fan. What concerns me more right now is the general attitude of this team. I don't see the internal support among team members that we saw last year. I understand that the players are disappointed in their performance right now but there seems to be more to it than that. In the last game (Sunday) I saw Acuna basically taking pitches and not really having his head in the game. If I had to take a guess as to what is going on I'd say they got spoiled last year with all the success and developed an entitlement attitude. It's time to get humble and put the pieces back together.

 

[BhamToTexas]

Yeah they are a bit off and not really clicking but it is too early to panic. I still think they will get it going. Even with our struggles we have one of the better records in baseball.

Also, the Phillies have played the easiest schedule so far in all of MLB.

 

[B1GTide]

Also, the Phillies have played the easiest schedule so far in all of MLB.

Maybe, but they are playing very well and when that team is on a roll they are almost unbeatable - and their fans are unbearable

 

[BhamToTexas]

Maybe, but they are playing very well and when that team is on a roll they are almost unbeatable - and their fans are unbearable

2024 MLB Baseball Relative Power Index - Major League Baseball - ESPN

Take a look at these 2024 MLB teams ranked by ESPN.com's baseball Relative Power Index.

www.espn.com

 

[HighlandOak]

It is just getting pathetic at this point. Olson is useless. Acuna is useless. Players keep getting hurt. No one is hitting except for Ozuna. We are over 40 games in and it is getting worse.
Now for all the sunshine pumpers that keep throwing 2021 out there, you fail to remember that the division stunk that year. It did not matter that the Braves did not get above .500 until August. No one in the division was good then. That is not the case thus year. Something is seriously wrong.

I don't follow MLB anymore short of maybe checking the triple crown stats, so I just looked at the standings. Second in the division and being in the lead for the wild card with the 3rd best record in the national league seems like a bit early to be getting worried, even with the issues you mentioned.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

A little something to lighten the mood.

This past weekend Glavine and Avery made an appearance at a Mom-n-Pop Baseball Card shop in TN.

For fun the owners gave Glavine some unopened '88 Topps and Avery some '89 Topps to see if they could pull their own Rookie Cards and Avery actually got his and signed it on the spot!!

This is just so cool to me. I loved Avery and he was so dang good before his injury.

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Man that is great! I remember racking up on those two rookie cards and I bet those two had a blast opening packs with their card in them. It probably brought back some great memories.

 

[DzynKingRTR]

Braves are now 6 games out of first place. Acuna 0-4 with a walk and Olson was 0-5

 

[CrimsonNagus]

For the first time since he was acquired, Olson is making me miss Freeman.

 

[Tide&True]

For the first time since he was acquired, Olson is making me miss Freeman.

Freeman had dry spells at the plate as well.

 

[tusks_n_raider]

I'm not super worried about Olsen because tbh he's not a great hitter avg wise and never has been and can also be streaky.

He could finish May with 8 Hr's and then hit 15+ in June and be on pace for 40-50 homers at the ASB.

But Acuna just isn't right.

I mean he can be streaky too but he's just way off his career avg's right now and his body language has been just really bad the last several weeks.

It's not helping that Riley's been out either or that his numbers are down.

Ozuna is the only guy playing like a Stud right now.

Dude leads the NL in Homers and RBI's and is only .025 Batting avg points from the lead there.

I don't know how long he can keep it up but him and Ohtani both are in a Race for the Triple Crown.

If just a few more guys could get hot we could get back in a tight race with Philly.