As of Wednesday morning, the Braves held baseball’s best record. On Wednesday morning, as on many mornings, it was possible to wonder how. Generally speaking, a team has a great season when lots of things go right. The Braves have seen lots of things go wrong, and somehow it hasn’t much mattered.
- Their two highest-salaried players entered the season's 145th game each hitting under .200. After returning from eye surgery, Dan Uggla has gotten worse: Post-surgery, he was batting .133 with no extra-base hits and no RBIs. B.J. Upton has managed seven RBIs since June and, with a FanGraphs WAR (wins above replacement) rating, ranks as the fourth-worst position player in the majors.
- Justin Upton, the Braves' fourth-highest-paid player, hit 12 home runs with 19 RBIs in April; he has managed 12 and 45 since. As of Wednesday, he had gone 16 games without driving in a run, which marked a seasonal worst but only just: He went 15 games from May 26 to June 11 without one.
- Dan U., Justin U. and B.J.U. — the "U" must stand for "unsatisfactory" — rank third, fourth and fifth in the National League in strikeouts. Not surprisingly, the Braves continue to lead the league in whiffs.
- Having had two forms of surgery (appendectomy and jaw repair), Jason Heyward had played in only 95 of the 144 games. Having started late because of back surgery, Brian McCann had played in only 92.
- Tim Hudson, the Braves' best starting pitcher of recent vintage, worked his last inning of 2013 (and possibly as a Brave) on July 24. Brandon Beachy made his first start of the season July 29 and what figures to be his last Aug. 20. Paul Maholm missed a month with a sore wrist and will miss at least his next turn with a tender elbow.
- Eric O'Flaherty, one of the two left-handed setup men, worked 19 games before requiring surgery. Johnny Venters, the other reliable lefty, hasn't pitched this season.
- Even the reserves were depleted. Fourth outfielder Jordan Schafer missed a month with a broken foot. Fifth outfielder Reed Johnson missed six weeks with a sore Achilles. Fifth infielder Ramiro Pena was lost in June to shoulder surgery. Folk hero Evan Gattis missed 2 1/2 weeks with a tweaked oblique and was demoted to Gwinnett in late August so he could play every day.
For all among us who suggest the Braves were lucky to have played in a terrible division, it’s hard to characterize a team so beset with injury/ineptitude as fortuitous. No single month has gone according to plan, but the season itself has worked out beautifully.
Granted, some Braves — Mike Minor, Freddie Freeman, Chris Johnson, Julio Teheran, Andrelton Simmons (at least afield), Gattis and the peerless Craig Kimbrel — have had big years. Still, no Brave is apt to win a major award, and a ballot-box push was needed to send a second Brave to the All-Star game. On cue, Freeman dinged his thumb and couldn’t play.
If we criticize the Braves for overspending on Uggla and B.J. Upton, we must also credit Frank Wren for building the strongest roster of his six seasons as general manager. Johnson, deemed a throw-in in the J. Upton deal, could lead the league in hitting. Gattis came to spring training as a non-roster player. Minor was considered by some a draft reach, and there were those who feared Teheran had stalled in Double-A.
We must also credit Fredi Gonzalez — yes, the manager lampooned by AJC.com commenters for his reluctance to bench any underperforming starter — for setting the overall tone. Even when its hit-or-miss offense was missing so often it was getting shut out once a week, this team never lacked faith. (That’s the benefit of having home-run threats throughout the lineup: You know you’re never more than one big swing away.) He handled the depleted bullpen expertly, and he allowed his bench guys enough at-bats that they never seemed overmatched.
But if you’re looking for the string-puller who has strung together the best season, look no further than Roger McDowell. Without a presumed ace in the rotation and without his two best lefty relievers, the pitching coach has overseen a staff that has compiled the lowest ERA in the majors. Minor consolidated last season’s gains. Teheran mastered four pitches to become a top-of-the-rotation starter. Kris Medlen fought through frustrations to win 13 games.
If you’re asking how the Braves have ridden out a season of undulations to occupy such a lofty perch, the answer is the same as it ever was. Even if all else fails (and occasionally all else has), pitching prevails.
About the Author
