Atlanta Braves News: The Morning Chop, Box Score, MLB Draft, Tyrell Jenkins Reactions To The Bullpen Move

Baseball Reference

Tomahawk Take Editor’s Note: What a strange game it was on Sunday with the LA Dodgers and our Atlanta Braves.  The Braves jump out to an early 2-0 lead, but Matt Wisler had a terrible performance on the mound and gave up that lead quickly.  The Dodgers scored at least one run in the first five innings and quickly the score was 9-2.  The Braves fought back, had 12 hits in the ball game, and scored three runs in the final two innings.  The bottom of the lineup proved they can still hit as hitters 4-8 had 10 hits in 19 at-bats.  We also saw in this game, stars Mallex Smith and Freddie Freeman both removed from the game.  Atlanta is now 16-40 for the season as the Dodgers improved to 31-27

Braves lose 12-6

Fox Sports South

Three Cuts: No quick fixes for Braves’ sputtering offense

Tomahawk Take Editor’s Note: The LA Dodgers young shortstop, Corey Seager, has already shown that he’s going to be a huge thorn in our sides every time we see that team.  He hit two more home runs on Sunday as the Braves pitchers couldn’t figure out a way to get him out.  Atlanta’s offense, though by the end of the day had 12 hits and gave Matt Wisler a 2-0 lead in the 1st inning, still has major issues.  All-Star and leader, Freddie Freeman went 0-3 and Brian Snitker removed him from the game.  He’s now batting .246 and has 62 strikeouts in 2016.  The Braves seem to have pieces of the puzzle, but no where close to completion.

"The offensive struggles did not come out of left field, though certainly left field played its part.The Braves rank as baseball’s least productive group of position players by a considerable margin, and short-term optimism is either absent or misplaced. The franchise entered Sunday’s finale against Los Angeles as the only team receiving sub-replacement level production out of its collection of non-pitchers, posting an eye-popping minus-4.1 WAR through 55 games, which would be the worst mark since the 1998 Twins — coincidentally catcher A.J. Pierzynski’s rookie season in Minnesota. Brief spurts of decent play have been drowned out by long stretches of ineptitude.Brian Snitker’s team finds itself in one of those latter stretches at the moment. Coming off two series against NL West hopefuls, the Braves offense has been shut out three times in six games. Harping on the lowest-scoring offense in baseball — a unit that trails the 29th-ranked Phillies offense by a small margin, but finds itself nearly five wins behind due to Philadelphia’s complementary defensive and base-running attributes — sets the bar low, of course. This was the preseason expectation."

Albany Herald

Atlanta Braves could take different routes on draft day

Tomahawk Take Editor’s Note: It’s here!! The MLB First Year Player Draft begins this Thursday at 7pm ET on MLB Network.  They will show the first two rounds and two lottery rounds on Thursday.  The Braves have five picks in the first 80 and look to pounce on college bats (at least that is what GM John Coppolella said months ago).  Lots of talent in this years draft, but the talent doesn’t seem like it’s in different tiers…many are ranked around the same.  Hopefully the Braves scouting has their man for the 3rd pick in the draft and I’m hoping it’s Kyle Lewis.

"Two high-upside high school pitchers have long been connected to the Braves at No. 3, which would continue their recent return to a draft philosophy centered on tools and higher ceilings. Left-hander Jason Groome and right-hander Riley Pint offer two of the highest ceilings in the draft, but they come with the risk associated with power prep arms.The Braves could take a different route by drafting a signable college bat at pick 3 and signing an upside arm at 40 or 44 to an overslot deal. If that happens, Mercer’s Kyle Lewis, Louisville’s Corey Ray and Tennessee’s Nick Senzel are in play.Ray and Senzel are safer options with higher floors but lower ceilings than Lewis. Ray is an athletic outfielder who makes consistent contact and has speed, while Senzel has perhaps the best contact bat in the draft but could lack impact power for third base."

Twitter

Tomahawk Take Editor’s Note: The Atlanta Braves made a surprising move, to some, last week when they decided to move prospect Tyrell Jenkins out of the rotation and into the bullpen.  If you’re still have a difficult time with it, read Fred’s post about this…he clearly has the reasons on why this move makes sense.  When someone asked him on Twitter how he felt about this, the always open Jenkins responded with the below tweet…