The Atlanta Braves are off to a solid start in the 2024 MLB regular season.
Atlanta leads the National League East and sits at 3-2 through the first week of play, and the Braves already have a +21 run differential in their five games played.
While the Braves certainly look primed for a deep postseason run, there are still areas that team can improve upon. Here are two early season moves the Braves must make.
The Braves must solidify their bullpen
The Braves have one of the better starting rotations in the National League. The top of the rotation is anchored by Cy Young Award candidates Spencer Strider and Max Fried. Not only are both pitchers legitimate aces, but they give opponents a drastically different look from one day to the next.
Following Strider and Fried is Charlie Morton and former MLB ace Chris Sale, who was acquired in the offseason. Sale hasn't appeared to have lost his stuff through his first start of the season, though he must prove that he can stay healthy.
But the Braves' bullpen could use some help. It's a solid group on paper, with Raisel Iglesias closing things down in the ninth, and AJ Minter as the left-handed situational workhorse out of the pen. But the team could use one more quality right-handed arm after Joe Jiminez.
The Braves should look for one of Reynaldo Lopez, AJ Smith-Shawver, or even Bryce Elder (who went from 2023 All Star to AAA in the span of eight months) to differentiate themselves as the team's fifth starter, and use one of the other two to grab another relief arm. In his first start for the Braves, Lopez looked very good against the White Sox, his former team, scattering four hits and a lone run in six innings of work.
The Braves need a backup first baseman
Atlanta has one of the best offensive first basemen in the game in Matt Olson, who hit 54 home runs and was an MVP candidate in 2023. But things get dicey for the Braves if he is forced to miss any time. While losing a bat of Olson's caliber for any stretch would be a blow, Atlanta has probably the best 1-9 lineup in baseball (with respect to the Dodgers top-5).
Defensively is where things get tricky. While Olson is a fine first baseman, the Braves' backups at the position are third baseman Austin Riley and designated hitter Marcell Ozuna. Neither are naturals on that side of the field, and Ozuna doesn't play in the field at all. While the team could get away with it for a game or two, should the worst-case scenario come true and Olson is forced to miss significant time, Atlanta will see problems on the right side of the infield.
Better to nip that potential issue in the bud now before it potentially pops up.
The Braves are in a fortunate position where their only real necessary moves are for bit contributors, both out of the bullpen and in the infield. While the team has faced disappointing October exits after winning the World Series in 2021, the team has only gotten stronger. The real question is, can they plug some minor holes so that they aren't able to be exploited come this fall?
Atlanta is primed for another stellar regular season, but they must look to October.
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