House That Hank Built
Fansided

Defense figures to be a strength for Atlanta Braves once again

By Daniel Rasmussen

LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA - MARCH 03: Ozzie Albies #1 of the Atlanta Braves turns a double play past Rosell Herrera #5 of the Miami Marlins in the first inning during the Grapefruit League spring training game at Champion Stadium on March 03, 2019 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA - MARCH 03: Ozzie Albies #1 of the Atlanta Braves turns a double play past Rosell Herrera #5 of the Miami Marlins in the first inning during the Grapefruit League spring training game at Champion Stadium on March 03, 2019 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /
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WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 13: Freddie Freeman #5 of the Atlanta Braves makes an out against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on September 13, 2017 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 13: Freddie Freeman #5 of the Atlanta Braves makes an out against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on September 13, 2017 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /

For only a short time longer, we must satisfy our baseball hunger with spring training box scores and preseason projections. Opening Day – and the games that count – for the Atlanta Braves will be here soon enough.

And as we look ahead with such eager anticipation to the start of the 2019 season, it’s only natural to see how the defending NL East champion Atlanta Braves measure up against the competition.

One thing is for sure – the ante has been upped.

Division rivals have bolstered their rosters through free agent signings and big-name trades. The Braves have stayed mostly quiet.

So how did things shake out? What are the areas in which the Braves stand tall versus the competition, as the season nears ever-so-close?

Pitching?

Admittedly, the Braves’ starting rotation probably doesn’t quite stack up “on paper” with the proven aces that are found in Washington and New York.

Hitting?

Perhaps the Phillies have the most attractive lineup – from top to bottom, anyways – given their big additions this offseason.

What does that leave?

Ahh… yes. Something very likely to be a staple of Atlanta Braves baseball in 2019: defense.

Good defense.

MLB.com’s Mike Petriello came out with an article on Thursday of the “top 10 defensive teams for 2019”, using FanGraphs’ projected fielding runs as the determining metric.

Who’s sitting at sixth overall in MLB, and tops in the National League, according to Petriello?

"6) Braves (+19) Like most of the other teams here, the Braves have a fielding superstar, in this case center fielder Ender Inciarte, who finished ever so slightly behind Cain in Statcast’s Outs Above Average last year. But he’s not alone in Atlanta, because first baseman Freddie Freeman, second baseman Ozzie Albies, third baseman Josh Donaldson, and shortstop Dansby Swanson are all projected to be above-average gloves."

That’s a lotta love for the glove.

This does need to be said: defensive stats in baseball are funny things – it seems as though there’s no general consensus as to which metric is the “best” to use. Defensive runs saved (DRS), UZR (ultimate zone rating), Statcast’s Outs Above Average (OAA), Baseball Prospectus’ FRAA (fielding runs above average), general fielding percentage, and a host of others all have their place in the discussion.

Then there’s the good ‘ole “eye test.”

This much is for certain: what the Atlanta Braves may lack in star power in the starting rotation, or in overall lineup depth, they certainly make up for in the field.

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