What has happened to the Atlanta Braves since the All-Star break?

The turning point, where did we go wrong?

Each year, Major League Baseball considers the All-Star break the halfway point of the season.

Even though teams have played more than half of the games for the year, the four-day break in playing regular season games where most of the guys take a mini vacation in the middle of the year, the All-Star break still is considered halfway through.

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But the All-Star break is also a time when a team can make the push for the postseason, or can go the total opposite direction and be looking toward the next year before September even rolls around.

Unfortunately, it is option number two for the Atlanta Braves in 2017, as they have no shot at seeing postseason ball and are gearing up for a 2018 run as well as September call-ups.

Why Are The Braves Out of Contention?

Since the All-Star Break, the Braves have not faired too well at all.  After starting hot after the break by sweeping the Arizona Diamondbacks, it appeared as if the Braves might make a push for a Wild-Card spot in the National League.  However, things have gone downhill since then.

Immediately after the Diamondback series, the Braves were swept by the Chicago Cubs.  Overall since the break, they have won 12 games, while losing 23 games, have won only one series, which was versus the Miami Marlins.

To make matters even worse, the Braves have been swept by what could arguably be the worse team in baseball, the Philadelphia Phillies, twice!

Could it be the bats of the Braves just are not hitting?  Before the All-Star Break, the Braves had five position players hitting over .300.  For the second half of the season, the Braves only have two position players hitting over .300.  Not good.

Take two of the Braves’ star players – Freddie Freeman and Ender Inciarte – to compare how they have played.  Freeman, who missed a majority of the first half, playing in only 43 games, still managed to hit .348 with sixteen home runs and thirty-three RBI’s in the first half. Inciarte played in 87 games, hit .302 and had seven home runs and 36 RBI’s in the first half.

The second half has almost been like night compared to day for these two.  Freeman has played in 32 games, hit .286 and only had six home runs and sixteen RBI’s.  Inciarte has played in 30 games, had three home runs, two of which were last night, and six RBI’s, while hitting .295.

Maybe it’s the Matt Kemp syndrome?  He’s only played in 14 games since the break and has been missing since July 28th because of a sore hamstring.

Or, many issues could be blamed on the pitching staff.  The inconsistency of some of the pitchers…aka Julio Teheran and Mike Foltynewicz…has been awful in 2017.

Next: This weekend, the Braves suit up to honor The King

So did the Braves stay on their mini-vacation when the All-Star break rolled around?  It is hard to say, but one thing that can be said, a consistent season is needed if there is any hope of the postseason in upcoming years.