Atlanta Braves: Setting Realistic Expectations for 2019

With the season almost ready to begin, we try and set realistic expectations for the Atlanta Braves going into the 2019 season.

As fans, I know being realistic isn’t always realistic. And that’s especially true for Atlanta Braves fans who got a taste of success in 2018.

But I would caution all of you to come down off the cloud for just a minute and take stock of just where this team is currently.

We all know that part of the success in 2018 had to do with circumstances. The Marlins were rebuilding, the Mets were injured, the Phillies collapsed, and the Nationals struggled out of the gate.

That’s not to take anything away from the Braves who were able to take advantage of a down year in the division and won it quite easily in the end.

No one expected the Braves to be ready to compete in 2018, and many thought it would be 2020 before they were legitimate contenders, and that’s where we need to reset our expectations.

I’ve seen too many Braves fans this offseason threatening to give up on the team if they don’t make the postseason this year. That’s the most ludicrous thing I’ve ever heard.

While I would have loved for the Braves to make a huge splash in free agency or trade this offseason, Alex Anthopoulos and the front office know this team is set to compete for years — not just in 2019.

In the end, it didn’t make sense for the Braves to trade for two years of J.T. Realmuto when Austin Riley could have an even bigger impact over the next six or seven years.

It also doesn’t make a ton of sense to spend big in free agency when the Braves will need to eventually pay guys like Ronald Acuna, Ozzie Albies, and Sean Newcomb in a couple of years.

I know it was a bit of a frustrating offseason, but I promise it was for the good of this ballclub.

The rest of the division has made big splashes this offseason, but those were just moves to keep up with the Braves. None of those teams are as set up as the Braves to compete for several years to come.

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And even with all of the other moves in the division, I still think the Braves and Nationals are the favorites to win it — and that’s even if the Phillies sign Bryce Harper.

But making the playoffs this year is not a given for the Atlanta Braves, and it shouldn’t be an all-or-nothing thing for Braves fans.

Even with the roster they have, I expect the Braves to be in the hunt for the division — or at least the Wild Card — well into September, and that’s still exciting.

I still don’t think this lineup is ready to win a World Series, and that’s where a lot of Braves fans are setting their expectations for 2019. In my opinion, that’s unhealthy thinking.

dark. Next. Atlanta Braves: Spring Training Preview

This season I expect the Atlanta Braves to be a competitive team that will compete for the division. Those are my realistic expectations, nothing more or less. It’s different to hope that the Braves win a World Series in 2019 than to expect them to win one.

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