The Braves enter the slightly delayed 2022 season as reigning World Series champs. Last fall’s triumph bore a bolt-from-the-blue-element – postseason heroics were wrought by many players who weren’t Braves at the All-Star break – but we can’t say we hadn’t seen this team coming. The Braves made the playoffs in 2018 and 2019. In 2020, they fell one game short of the World Series.
Each member of the 2022 Braves’ starting infield is under 30, the new first baseman included. Three of those four infielders have won a Silver Slugger award or a Gold Glove. Their best outfielder has made the All-Star team twice, won two Silver Sluggers and finished among the top dozen in league MVP voting three times. He’ll turn 25 a week before Christmas.
Big fat fact: The Braves just won a World Series without Ronald Acuna swinging a bat or Mike Soroka throwing a pitch. Yeah, the Dodgers have so much money they can buy anything, the former face of the Atlanta franchise included, but the Braves are 7-6 against L.A. over the past two Octobers. These guys are good, too.
