Atlanta Braves: Top Ten Players Heading Into 2021
By Seth Carter
With the Atlanta Braves regular season upon us, we rank the top ten players on the team right now.
The Atlanta Braves are loaded with talent heading into 2021 season. That is evident not just by looking at the list of top-ten, but by also looking at some of the players that did not make the list.
Disclaimer: Ian Anderson did not make the list. I want to see it over a larger sample. There are still concerns about his control and that may or may not show its face over the course of a 162-game season.
10. Chris Martin, RP
Since the beginning of 2019, Chris Martin leads all major league relievers with a minuscule 2.8% walk rate. The guy simply does not allow free passes. He has been the best in the league at making hitters earn it with the bat. His 2.8% walk rate equates to less than one batter per nine.
In that same timespan, Martin boasts a 2.81 ERA with a 0.92 WHIP. If Snit needs a right-handed arm to close out some games for the Braves this season, Martin should be at the top of that list.
9. Travis d’Arnaud, C
Since the beginning of the 2019 season, Travis d’Arnaud is tied for seventh among catchers in home runs with 25. Only J.T. Realmuto (115) and Yasmani Grandal (104) have more RBI than TDA’s 103 in that time span. The big difference is that d’Arnaud has played in about 50 fewer games than Realmuto and Grandal.
8. Will Smith, RP
The former All-Star closer began his Braves tenure by missing over a month with COVID-19. Despite not earning a single save last season, he still has the tenth-most saves since the beginning of 2019.
Between 2018 and 2019, Smith racked up 48 saves with a 2.66 ERA and 167 strikeouts in 118.1 innings pitched. With a healthy off-season, the Braves will look to the lefty to return to his All-Star form. Smith enters camp as the favorite to close out games for the Braves.