Five reasons to be optimistic about this Braves team

As I’ve admitted before, I’m an optimist. “Admitted” seems to be the appropriate word, because optimism isn’t necessarily an attribute. So, sometimes it’s hard to delineate between what is truly encouraging versus what’s baseless optimism.

That’s especially true when it comes to baseball in April. When Barry Bonnell hit .300 as a rookie in 1977, I was convinced the Atlanta Braves had found their answer to George Brett. Don’t even get me going on Buzz Capra and Biff Pocoroba.

I’m trying to buffer this with a bit of reality, but here goes.

I like this Braves team. Not that I think that the NL East title will be on the line 26 weeks from today, when the Braves play their regular season finale against Philadelphia. The Washington Nationals will have to play their way back to the field.

Even so, I still like this Braves team. Here are five reasons why. Let me rephrase that. Here are five reasons why that are not named Freddie Freeman or Ender Inciarte.

1. The presence of Ozzie Albies.

This kid can play. Bobby Cox — another noted optimist, by the way — compared him to Jose Altuve. Granted, that’s a heavy load to be compared to one of the best players in the game. Albies is only 21 years old and still learning on the job. Young players have to go through a series of adjustments in the big leagues.

Just because they play the same position and are similar in stature (but Altuve is even smaller) is not a sound basis for comparison. But these stat lines are. Altuve had 1,642 plate appearances in the minor leagues before being called up. He played 57 games for Houston in 2010 and hit .276.

The next year, Altuve hit .290 as Houston’s full-time starting second baseman and made the All-Star Game.

Albies had 1,744 minor league plate appearances before he was called up. He played 57 games for Atlanta last year and hit .286. So it’s not a stretch to think Albies can be a very productive hitter right now.

2.The maturation of Mike Foltynewicz.

Last week, I mentioned Folty’s career thus far was strikingly similar to Jake Arrieta’s. I’m still not sold that Foltynewicz will be a Cy Young winner, or even a finalist. I’m also not saying he won’t be. He certainly has the physical tools. But he doesn’t have to be one of the top five pitchers in baseball to make a huge impact on the Braves. He just has to learn how to consistently fight through adversity. Bad calls. Bad pitches. Or just terrible luck.

It’s one thing to learn how to pitch in the big leagues. It’s another to learn how to manage situations and emotions. When Arrieta figured that out, he became one of the best pitchers in the game.

If Foltynewicz is just 80 percent of what Arrieta was at his peak, that will be good enough.

3. The improved bullpen.

Yes, there’s still no dominant closer. Arodys Vizcaino can be very good at times. Rookie A.J. Minter could be that dominant closer sooner. Truthfully, Minter probably needs more time. Still, with the notable exception of a lights-out closer, Vizcaino, Minter, Jose Ramirez and Sam Freeman comprise a pretty solid back end of the bullpen. Peter Moylan’s veteran presence is an asset. Beyond those guys, it’s still a little suspect. But most teams are lacking when it comes to bullpen depth

4. Under the radar improvements.

Veterans Peter Bourjos and Ryan Flaherty were solid late spring pickups. The offseason was pretty quiet except for unloading Matt Kemp’s salary. But one guy they got in return was Brandon McCarthy. Injuries limited him to 153⅔ innings over the past three seasons with the Dodgers. But McCarthy appears to be healthier this season. If he stays healthy, McCarthy can consistently give the Braves a solid five to six innings every fifth day. Another offseason move that garnered little attention was the acquisition of outfielder Preston Tucker. He already has contributed with game-tying hits in the first two games of season. Even if he doesn’t start all year, Tucker appears to be an upgrade from what the Braves had last season.

5. Help is on the way.

The main reason Tucker probably won’t start all season is the pending arrival of Ronald Acuna Jr. It’s only a matter of time before Acuna is starting in Atlanta and hitting in the middle of the lineup. He’s an impact player. But he’s not alone. Infielder Johann Camargo will provide a big boost to the lineup when he returns from the disabled list. And I’m convinced either Mike Soroka or Kolby Allard will crack the starting rotation before summer.

So, for what it’s worth, therein my optimism for this season. Wonder whatever became of Preston Hanna.

This story was originally published March 31, 2018 at 5:22 PM with the headline "Five reasons to be optimistic about this Braves team."