Atlanta Braves: Who will be the 2020 All-Stars?

The Atlanta Braves had three players selected to the All-Star Game in 2019, but how many will be playing in the Midsummer Classic in 2020?

The date is July 14, 2020, and Major League Baseball’s best have gathered in Chavez Ravine to play in the game’s 91st All-Star Game. The Atlanta Braves entered the break leading the National League East by two games over the Washington Nationals and four games over the Philadelphia Phillies.

They are tied with the Chicago Cubs for the best record in the NL.

Los Angeles Dodgers’ Public Address Announcer, Mike Carlucci, begins to introduce the National League Reserves.

“From the Atlanta Braves, Dallas Keuchel.”

Dallas Keuchel enjoyed his half season with the Braves in 2019 so much that he agreed to resign with them in the offseason.

The stability he brought the Atlanta Braves rotation in the postseason, where they advanced for the first time since 2001, made resigning him a priority by the organization.

Keuchel was simply brilliant over the first three months of the 2020 season, as he went 8-2 with a 2.48 ERA and led the National League in innings at 107.2.

“Also from the Atlanta Braves, Dansby Swanson.”

Dansby Swanson proved that his 2019 season, where he set career-highs in home runs (28) and RBI (84), was no fluke as he had a slash line of .295/.373/.496 at the break, including 16 home runs and 59 RBI.

Only Javier Baez had better overall numbers in the season’s first half.

In 2019, shortstop in the NL was a highly competitive position, but injuries derailed the position in 2020, as Trevor Story and Paul DeJong both spent significant time on the injured list.

“Now the starters for the National League…”

“Batting first from the Atlanta Braves, Ronald Acuna Jr.”

Ronald Acuna’s numbers at the break put him squarely in the mix for the MVP.

He is second in the league in home runs (27), tied with Freeman for third in RBI (67), and also swiped 19 bases.

After spending most of the 2019 season in centerfield due to Ender Inciarte’s injury, Acuna is back in left field in 2020, as highly regarded prospect Cristian Pache took over center.

Acuna has improved his defense significantly as he is fourth in defensive runs saved by left fielders according to FanGraphs.

“Batting third from the Atlanta Braves, Freddie Freeman.”

After finishing fourth in the NL MVP voting in 2019, where he hit a career-high 38 home runs and drove in 107 runs, while also hitting .307, Freddie Freeman was again stellar in 2020’s first half.

Freeman batted .317, with 19 home runs and 64 RBIs before the break, good enough to be selected as the NL starter for the third straight season.

He is also the oldest starter on the NL squad.

“Batting ninth from the Atlanta Braves, Ozzie Albies.”

Ozzie Albies jumped out of the gate in 2020, using his snub from the 2019 All-Star Game as motivation to earn his second All-Star Game appearance, but first time as a starter.

During the first half of the season, Albies hit 21 home runs, with 63 RBI, while also batting .293; numbers far better than any other second basemen in the NL.

In conclusion

This was a fun exercise to predict, as imprecise as it was, to see where the Atlanta Braves would be next year.

Obviously, Keuchel and Swanson were reaches, but that’s what this was supposed to be about — making bold predictions when it’s next to impossible to do so.

I’m sure some will ask about Mike Soroka, and while I think he’s going to be really good for a really long time, I decided to have him take a small step back from where he is this year.

I gave some thought to Austin Riley, as well as a closer, but who knows who that is going to be.

Having only three all-stars this season seemed a bit of a slap in the face considering the Atlanta Braves have the second best record in the NL, so I made sure to give them plenty of representation next year.