One year ago Saturday, the Braves began their 60-game campaign in Queens, launching perhaps the oddest season in MLB history.
“I knew we were coming up on it, which is wild,” manager Brian Snitker said. “It’s wild to think we were just getting going.”
After the pandemic shut down sports in March 2020, the MLB world waited as battling between the MLBPA and owners led to a 60-game, commissioner-implemented season. The unconventional campaign included multiple rule changes and an expanded postseason field.
Players reported to “summer camp” in early July in preparation for the July 24 opening day. First baseman Freddie Freeman was among four Braves to test positive for COVID-19, a development that Snitker once said added to his concern that the season wouldn’t be completed.
“It’s certainly a lot better now,” Snitker said. “We’ve overcome a lot in this last year, and things are, well, they’re not totally there, but it’s way, way better than it was a year ago now, that’s for sure. How we’re living our lives. It’s changed a lot for the better. It’s more baseball as we know it right now.”
The Braves started their sprint at the Mets, when Jacob deGrom and Mike Soroka dueled to an impasse. Yoenis Cespedes’ late homer off Chris Martin proved the difference in a 1-0 Mets win.
As the coronavirus surged, many questioned whether MLB would complete the season. There were bevies of postponements and outbreaks that altered the schedule on the fly. The Braves were among the more fortunate teams in that regard, playing through their schedule without rearrangements.
In the end, the Braves had one of their best seasons in two decades. With a 35-25 record, they won the National League East for the third consecutive season. Their offense was a behemoth, as was their bullpen. It helped them overcome a decimated rotation.
Freeman had his greatest season, winning the NL MVP. Max Fried finished sixth in Cy Young voting. The team had a franchise-record four Silver Sluggers. It had three Gold Glove finalists, with Fried winning his first.
The Braves defeated the Reds in two games to open the expanded postseason. They traveled to neutral-site Houston to face the Marlins in the NL Division Series, where they swept the Fish to advance to their first NL Championship Series since 2001.
While the Braves built a 3-1 advantage in the series, the eventual-champion Dodgers won three consecutive and eliminated the Braves in seven games in Arlington, Texas. As heartbreaking as that was for the organization and fans, the franchise still had a remarkable season in a year where there was almost no baseball at all.
A year later, these Braves are searching for any success resembling the 2020 club. This team, at 47-49 entering Saturday, hasn’t been above .500 this season. While the rotation has substantially improved, the offense and bullpen have dipped. Injuries have taken their toll, most recently with a torn ACL ending superstar Ronald Acuna’s season.
A lot changes in one year. Perhaps the Braves turn it around and get another shot in October under more normal conditions. Otherwise, this season will feel much longer than the last for reasons well beyond the schedule.
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