(06-01-2015 02:10 PM)stever20 Wrote:  I think the one thing also that the Braves don't have that some younger teams did have was the young pitching in spades.

Right now, even with Shelby Miller at 1.48 so far- the team ERA is 4.12, good for 10th in the NL. Against the good teams- given up 116 runs in 21 games- or 5.52 per game.

Kinda true-dat for this year. But all those trades were mostly focused on bringing back lots of quality young pitching. The Braves minors once again have a decent helping of young pitchers. And the Braves know how to develop them as well as any organization in baseball currently.

This year's staff ERA includes some bad starts from Eric Stoltz (traded away to Dodgers in the Uribe deal) and Trevor Cahill (demoted to bullpen--on his way out soon enough), so I'm not as hung up on that stat right now as if we were still starting those two. The loss of Mike Minor (better candidate for a non-tender at season's end as of now due to injury) hurts more than anything.

The hitting is what concerns me going forward. And catching. Besides Freeman, we don't have much. As well, Bethancourt is not lighting it up at what has usually been a more productive bat position for the Braves during most of their successful years. Gotta figure that out.