The 2023 season has been full of positives for the Atlanta Braves. Ronald Acuña Jr. is in the midst of a MVP season. Spencer Strider and Michael Harris II are following up their stellar rookie seasons with equally impressive sophomore outings. The team sent a franchise record eight players to the All-Star game. Through all that success, there is still room for improvement.
Brian Snitker's recent questionable decisions with the handling of when to pull his starting pitchers point to one of the biggest problems, the lack of trust in the bullpen. Abe Gordon highlighted this point when discussing the Braves recent struggles and losses.
Gordon started by saying, "We have now seen multiple times in the last week where a starting pitcher probably should have been pulled and wasn't." Referencing Spencer Strider returning for the 7th inning in his last start and giving up two homeruns.
The result is one thing, but it begs the question, "Why?" Brian Snitker is one of the best mangers in the MLB and has done a masterful job of managing the pitching rotation and handling the team as a whole. The answer, Abe Gordon believes, is that the bullpen isn't good enough and Snitker knows it. The Braves are 0-3 in bullpen games this year.
"Why is Snitker three times through one turn of a rotation sticking with guys who should be done...the bullpen isn't good enough." Brian Snitker, who is known to trust his guys while working through their issues, losing faith in his bullpen is a large concern, especially with the August 1st trade deadline quickly approaching.
Alex Anthopoulos, Braves' General Manager, made some key trades back in 2021 that brought a title to Atlanta. In 2023, he will need to make another key trade or trades to help this team seal the deal on their title run. Whether it be for a starter or a bullpen guy, the Braves need more arms.
