There hasn’t been a team to win back-to-back World Series titles since the 2000 Yankees, but ESPN’s Buster Olney predicted this morning while on with 92.9 The Game’s The Steakhouse that the Braves are about to put an end to that drought.
“I think they’re going to be the first team since the 1998-2000 Yankees to go back-to-back because of how well they’re playing, how deep the team is, and also, their experience has become a weapon,” he told Steak Shapiro and Sandra Golden.
Gearing up for the postseason run, Olney had a conversation with a fellow Vanderbilt Commodore in SS Dansby Swanson—who he thinks could get $28 million a year in the offseason—and says this team has the mindset needed to repeat.
“There is now an expectation that they are going win, and as he said, win at a high level. You could feel that in that series. The Mets are a great team; the Braves totally dominated that series..and I think it was a nice dress rehearsal going into October,” he said.
Olney was at Truist Park for Sunday’s sweep-completing win over the Mets and echoed Braves’ manager Brian Snitker’s comments praising the atmosphere in Atlanta, adding that scene impressed the entire broadcast team.
Just like 2021, one team that the Braves will likely have to go through en route to a World Series is the Dodgers. While he sees equal depth in the batting order for both teams, Olney did highlight one area that has him picking the Braves in a potential matchup.
“The difference between the two teams in my eyes is the state of the Dodgers’ pitching staff. They’ve had a ton of injuries with Walker Buehler going down and Tony Gonsolin having some issues,” Olney said detailing how LA may be dealing with a patchwork rotation in the postseason.
The Braves staff isn’t without questions however, as the team awaits the return of rookie sensation Spencer Strider. Olney did say that even if he can’t ramp it up to return to form as a starter, he could be an even better option out of the bullpen.
Atlanta still has work to do in the regular season, needing a win over the Marlins tonight or tomorrow to clinch the division. A Mets loss to Washington would also secure the fifth straight NL East Title for the Braves.
If Olney's prediction does come to pass, hopefully the bus drivers on the parade route have learned their lesson and keep their foot off the gas...but let's not get ahead of ourselves.