The Braves start the second full month of the season tonight against the Mets in New York. Let’s measure how things stand for the Braves on the morning of May 1, 2018, compared to May 1, 2017.
The record: The Braves are 16-11 today, 1 ½ games out of first place in the NL East. They had played four fewer games and were 10-13 on this date a year ago, six games out.
The offense: The Braves have averaged 5.59 runs per game so far this season, compared to 4.52 through April last season. They have an NL-leading team batting average of .268 with an NL-leading OPS of .781 this season, compared to .263 and .740 through April last year.
The pitching: The staff ERA is currently 3.64, an improvement from 4.13 on this date last year. Braves pitchers have walked an MLB-high average of 5.04 batters per game this season, compared to 3.35 per game through April last year.
Ozzie Albies and Ronald Acuna: Both were in the minor leagues last April. Both are in the Braves' lineup now, the two youngest players in the majors. Albies leads the NL, or shares the lead, in runs (29), hits (34), doubles (12) and home runs (nine). Acuna, promoted from Gwinnett last week, is 8-for-19 with four doubles and a homer in his first five big-league games.
Dansby Swanson: He was hitting .156 through April last year. He is hitting .287 now.
The TV ratings: The Braves' local TV ratings were up 11 percent through 23 games this season – the latest known figure – compared to the same point last year.
The stock price: The Braves' stock price (symbol BATRK) closed Monday at $22.04 per share. The stock was trading higher at the end of April 2017, $24.52 per share.
The attendance: The Braves' average announced attendance this season is 29,721 through 12 home dates. Their average was 30,771 through April a year ago, although the team had played only seven home games at the new SunTrust Park then. Through 12 home games last season, the Braves averaged 29,687.
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TODAY’S LEADOFF LINKS
> You might ask the Phillies how bright the Braves' future looks, Mark Bradley writes.
> Offense has driven the Braves' fast start, but Jeff Schultz asks how long this can last.
> The debacles of Georgia's Trent Thompson and Davin Bellamy illustrate the annual oddity that is the NFL draft, Chip Towers writes.
> Former Georgia Tech center Freddie Burden, who waited a year for an opportunity to compete for an NFL roster spot, is thankful for a rookie mini-camp tryout with the Cleveland Browns, Ken Sugiura writes.
