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Atlanta Braves May Have Launching Pad 2.0 with Sun Trust Park

By Dan Horton

Apr 16, 2017; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Braves center fielder Ender Inciarte (11) hits a solo home run as San Diego Padres catcher Hector Sanchez (44) is shown on the play in the seventh inning of their game at SunTrust Park. The Braves won 9-2. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 16, 2017; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Braves center fielder Ender Inciarte (11) hits a solo home run as San Diego Padres catcher Hector Sanchez (44) is shown on the play in the seventh inning of their game at SunTrust Park. The Braves won 9-2. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Atlanta Braves new stadium, Sun Trust Park, has hosted four games. In those games, there have been 11 home runs hit. Does Atlanta have the Launching Pad 2.0 with STP?

Last Thursday, the Atlanta Braves christened Sun Trust Park with a win, and after 4 games versus the Padres, have yet to lose in their home park.

Over the last four games, the Braves were obviously affected by coming home for the first time on this young season.

After starting the 2017 campaign on a 8-game road trip, it was nice to turn on the lights of Sun Trust for the first time.

In the first eight games, the Braves scored 22 runs (2.75 runs a game). In the last four at Sun Trust Park, they have scored 23 runs (5.75 runs a game). I’m guessing, heading back to Atlanta and Sun Trust helped.

Launching Pad 2.0

So, is it the friendly confines of Sun Trust Park? Consider this:

Over the last four games at Sun Trust Park, 11 home runs were hit by both the Braves and the Padres. Five homers came from the Padres, while six came from the Braves.

Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves /

Atlanta Braves

Right now, before the Nationals come in for a visit, Sun Trust Park potentially could see just over 220 home runs leave the yard. 120 of those could come from Braves hitters.

Staying with the home run theme, Both Ender (The Encinerator) Inciarte and Freddie Freeman are on an early pace to lead this Braves team in home runs. Both are on a pace to send 40 home runs out of Sun Trust as both have 2 each at STP.

I highly doubt Ender stays on this trajectory, but it is possible Freeman could. Of course, the team they were facing has a lot to do with this.

San Diego is not what you would call, a great pitching staff. You have to consider the Braves will see much better pitching than this, and the Nationals staff will be a better indicator of what we really could expect.

All that said, though, Sun Trust Park has the potential to be a real hitters park, and it’s only April 18th. We haven’t even gotten close to the heat and humidity Atlanta is famous for.

White Hot Freddie

Freeman is showing why he should be a MVP candidate this year. Through the first 12 games, Freeman is crushing the baseball.

His slash line is something you see in a video game.

https://twitter.com/DatBravesDH/status/854324300274294785

On top of this, Freddie Freeman is already at a WAR of 1 and has a 2017 wRC+ of 254 and an wOBA of .550, ISO of .467.

What does this all mean? Well, it means Freddie Freeman is really stinking good at baseball.

Next: Why Dansby Needed That Walk-Off

It will definitely be interesting to see how Sun Trust Park plays throughout the rest of the season, but if the past four games are any indication, it could be a home run happy year in the south.

And you never know, if the rate of runs scored stays on its current path, you might just find an Atlanta Braves baseball team actually competing for a playoff berth; imagine that.

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