Is It All That Bad For The Atlanta Braves?

May 13, 2015; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Atlanta Braves manager

watches from the dugout during a game against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. The Reds won 5-1. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports

Tomahawk Take Writer’s Note: Stats and Info are as of May 14th, 2015, 5:00 PM.

Yes, the Atlanta Braves season thus far has been hard to watch at times. But are things really as bad as we think?

As of May 14th, 2015, the Braves sit at a disappointing 15-19. Disappointing, yes, but maybe not so bad, if you consider the following. At 4 games under .500 and 5 games out of the NL East lead, sure, things could be better. We knew going in that this was a season the Braves may not compete for a division title. However, the Wild Card was a very legitimate goal coming out of spring training.

The Braves sit 3.5 games back in the Wild Card race right now. The list of teams in front of them seems long, and it is, but there is hope. There is also no immediate need to panic either. In font of the Braves are the Padres, Reds, Pirates, Giants, Marlins, and D-Backs.

But let’s look a little closer. Arizona stands at 15-18, a half game up. Miami? 16-19; also a half game up. The Giants, Pirates, and Reds all sit at .500 with 17-17 records. the Padres are at 18-17.

The top two WC spots right now belong to the Cubs (18-15) and our nemesis, the Nationals (19-16). Things in the National League are at best mediocre right now. A decent winning streak gets Atlanta right back in the thick of things. See? Not so bad is it?

The million dollar question … what can be done to get over the hump? Regrettably, I don’t have an answer for that. What I can do though is present options, and there are options. Alan hinted at one of these options earlier with the possibility of dumping Alberto Callaspo. But the biggest adjustment needs to be made in the pitching department.