Floyd vs. Benavidez: Will the Braves make it to the playoffs this season?
Will Floyd
Issue date: 4/21/09 Section: Sports
|
Although the Braves have done well in the off -season to increase their chances and improve the team, I believe that the National League East will be too powerful top to bottom for the Braves to possibly win either the division outright or the wildcard position for the playoffs.
The fact that the defending world series champs, the Philadelphia Phillies, are division rivals will only make things that much more difficult for the somewhat retooled Braves.
Although the Braves have added three new pitchers in World Series winner Derek Lowe, Japanese superstar Kenshin Kawakami and Tom Glavine, the season may still prove to be disappointing for Braves fans and players alike.
I believe that the rest of the division will be far too strong over 162 games for the Braves to even have a hope of making the postseason for the first time since 2005.
With Ryan Howard, Cole Hamels and the rest of the Phillies seemingly ready to defend their title and the ever present and usually productive New York Mets in the division, the Braves should finish third.
With Hanley Ramirez ready to carry the weight of the Florida Marlins, the Braves may even have to settle for fourth place, in front of only the lowly Washington Nationals.
I do feel that if the Braves were in another division, perhaps the NL West, they could possibly make the playoffs, and I do also feel that they've taken big steps towards making the postseason again.
I think that this year is just a little too early to hold them to such a high standard.
Give the Braves another season or two, and they should be right back in the thick of things.
Be the first to comment on this story