Regarding postseason setbacks, Anthopoulos states, “It probably will affect what we do this offseason.”
I spoke extensively earlier in the offseason about the Braves’ need for a shift in mindset. Winning as many games as possible and converting dollars to wins should no longer be Alex Anthopoulos’ only priorities. The Braves already field a team full of talent capable of winning the NL East ten times over. When it comes to offseason acquisitions, the goal must be solely to win the postseason.
Along with more pitching, the Braves need to find clubhouse leaders who don’t back down in the face of difficulty. It’s crucial, though, to avoid overreacting to a sample size of just four games. Although the Braves don’t require drastic adjustments, Alex Anthopoulos believes that a different mindset for the offseason would be prudent.
According to Mark Bowman of MLB.com, Anthopoulos stated, “I’d love to chalk it up to randomness.” The issue is that the sensation is so terrible and lingers for so long that rationalizing it away as coincidence won’t help you feel better. You will therefore constantly search for explanations.
The Braves boasted one of the greatest lineups in history this year, and they have had elite offenses in each of the previous two seasons. But in October, they proved to be no match for the Phillies pitching staff. Regretfully, there’s not much they can do about that. This is pretty much the final lineup. The Braves can improve in other areas to improve their chances of making the playoffs; they just need to hope they answer the bell the next time. In October, preventing runs is crucial, and the Braves have performed admirably, if not spectacularly, in this regard.
According to Anthopoulos, “You have to be careful you don’t overweigh a four-game sample size,” Mark Bowman of MLB.com reported. However, I doubt you will be able to ignore it either. That’s two answers in one, I know. However, we have broad concepts and ideas. I’m probably not going to get into it because I don’t want people to know what we’re trying to do other than improve the team, even though it will probably affect what we do this offseason.
Pitching depth would seem to be the Braves’ top priority. They haven’t had enough good starters for the postseason in back-to-back seasons due to injuries. Since Kyle Wright is already out for the 2024 season, it’s likely that they will add more rotation arms to make sure they don’t have a shortage of players come October for the third consecutive year.
Is it also possible that we are witnessing an offensive, slight philosophical shift? There are enough guys on the Braves to mash balls into the bleachers, and in October, the team with the most home runs typically emerges victorious. The long ball, on the other hand, comes and goes in waves. As we’ve seen in the past two years, depending only on that for run production can backfire. Maybe the Braves will use a left-fielder who can set the stage for the middle of the order and put a lot of pressure on opposing pitchers in left field.
