The Atlanta Braves have had a strong start to their preseason, and while the wins and losses don't count yet, there is still something to be said about how this team is conducting themselves. The team is widely regarded as a top team coming into the 2025 season, but the conversation is revolving around their division rivals so far this spring.
Rob Tribble, filling in for The Steakhouse, discussed why he likes what he's heard from this Braves team to this point in Spring Training.
"I'm catching a vibe, a very determined vibe coming out of spring training for the Braves," Tribble said. "Of course, every year at this time every player will express these optimistic platitudes... but there's a quiet confidence about the Braves."
This goes in contrast to what we heard last year after the team finished with one of the best regular season hitting performances in MLB history. The phrase "World Series or bust" was uttered more than once as they prepared for what ended up being a disastrous season for reasons outside of their control.
In total, 1,062 games were missed due to injury last season. Despite that fact, the Braves still somehow managed to put together an 89-win season en route to their seventh-straight trip to the postseason.
Now the Braves will be back to full strength, or at least closer to it than at any point last year. Even still, the talk from the national scene seems to revolve around the Mets and Phillies after the quiet offseason in Atlanta. To Rob, he almost prefers it to be that way.
"There is that vibe," Tribble said about what he's feeling from the Braves. "There's kind of a determined vibe [that I love]."