2014 Season: 79–83 (T-2nd in National League East; no playoffs)
Coming off their worst record since 2008 (72-90), the Braves went 7-18 in the final month of the season. The Atlanta Braves finished the 2014 season on a low note. Not only finishing under .500 and not making the playoffs, but what remains to be seen is that September baseball has not been a friend of this team.
A lot of hometown favorites were relieved of their duties during the offseason.
Key Departures: Evan Gattis, Justin Upton, Jason Heyward, Ervin Santana, Kris Medlen, Aaron Harang, Ryan Doumit, Gerald Laird, Anthony Varvaro, David Carpenter, Jordan Walden
Key Additions: Shelby Miller, Nick Markakis, Alberto Callaspo, A.J. Pierzynski, Jason Grilli, Jim Johnson
2015 Forecast:
The Braves are entering Spring Training, the projected starting-5 rotation is shaping out like this:
- Julio Teheran
- Mike Minor
- Shelby Miller
- Alex Wood
- David Hale
Could this really be the year the Braves make it to the World Series? A World Series parade has not taken place in Atlanta since ’95… two decades ago. In fact, the Braves have not even been back to the World Series since 1999, when the New York Yankees took out the brooms and swept them away 4-0. To be fair, and realistic, the ’95 World Series Champion Braves had future Hall of Famers: Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, John Smoltz, Chipper Jones, and a guy by the name of Bobby Cox coaching them to it all.
It is considerably inappropriate to place unnecessary expectations in late-February. But, is there potential? Absolutely. I don’t want to tell you to get your hopes up, because as we all know Georgia sports can be more than frustrating, but anything is possible.
