The Atlanta Braves are in the thick of a race with the Mets for their fifth consecutive division title, but they still trail their division rival by 5.5 games in mid-August. Regardless of the outcome of the race for the NL East, the Braves are well on their way to making the playoffs.
Abe Gordon broke down five key questions that the Braves need to get answered if they want to find success in the post-season.
1 - Is there confidence in the starting rotation going in to the playoffs?
Max Fried and Kyle Wright have been fantastic for the Braves this season but behind them, there are some questions.
Charlie Morton has been hot and cold, Ian Anderson has been downright terrible at times, and Spencer Strider is still a rookie. Jake Odorizzi was acquired at the deadline to uplift the backend, but he has been less than desired through two starts.
The Braves need to establish who that third person in their rotation is, and whether or not Ian Anderson can be on this roster in October.
2 - Can they figure out the bullpen roles?
The Braves leaned heavily on the production of the "Night Shift" in their run to the 2021 World Series, but the identity of the 2022 group feels far from complete. Tyler Matzek, Dylan Lee, Collin McHugh, and A.J. Minter have shown their value, but they still have no clearly defined role to this point.
Alex Anthopolous made a strong deadline acquisition to pad the back-end of their rotation when they made a deal for Raisel Iglesias. According to Abe, beyond he and Kenley Jansen, there seems to be a lot of "mixing-and-matching".
3 - Can Ronald Acuña get the power back at the plate?
Ronald Acuña is one of the best players in baseball, especially when he gets hot. To this point, we have only caught glimpses of that version of the 24-year-old. Through mid-August, Acuña only has nine home runs and 28 RBI, but if he is starting to heat up it could spell trouble for the rest of the National League.
4 - Is Marcell Ozuna going to be a part of this lineup in October?
Ozuna has struggled mightily at the plate this season. Going back to July 9th, he only has 13 hits, six of which have come in two games. The Braves have to determine whether or not he can figure it out at the plate.
Abe said it well, "If you haven't figured it out by now, you're not going to."
5 - Can Vaughn Grissom get comfortable in the Majors in case Ozzie isn't ready to go?
There is a realistic scenario in which Ozzie Albies does not come back to this lineup in time for the postseason run. If that is the case, the team needs to know if Grissom can (even partially) fill the shoes of the Braves' All-Star second baseman.
The 21-year-old has enjoyed an electric start to his MLB career at the plate, but the Braves need to be confident that he can continue to produce at a consistent level.