2018 MLB SHOWDOWN SET -- Atlanta Braves

The Braves found themselves ahead of schedule and on top of the NL East once again in 2018, shocking the baseball world by winning 90 games and comfortably outpacing the favored Washington Nationals. Although their postseason journey was short lived, Atlanta fans can expect more amazing things to come from their young squad, and have plenty of useful/fun cards to pull from the 2018 set! I know Bob is going to be fighting everyone in his league for the chance to draft Acuna. Also, shout out to my good friend Michael, an Atlanta native who loves his Braves! He'll undoubtedly be taking Mikey F and placing him into his starting rotation in our league!

Here's me and Bob's podcast

And now, onto the cards!

Lineup:  The Braves lineup is definitely a steep drop-off after the Dodgers and Cubs, but its still a stellar lineup.  Most notably, they feature the absolute pinnacle of defensive perfection -- a +15 infield (thanks to Bob's defensive calcs).  Obviously the star players of this team are elite here -- starting with the powerful and speedy Rookie of the Year.  Acuna is such a great hitter and can be plugged into the 2, 3, or 4 hole without anyone objecting.  Freeman provides a stellar OB 10 with reliable production, fantastic fielding, and surprising speed.  Markakis and Carmargo provide decent support, although neither has lots of power or great charts.  Albies dip in production toward the end of the year was a massive disappointment, although his chart will devastate low control pitchers (Scherzer is only a Control 3 in this set, just saying).  Inciarte is actually the player I'd target in drafts, with his 240 point salary for a great chart, A speed, and +3 fielding (despite the OB 7).  Swanson may be drafted for his 150 point, +5 fielding card as well.  Overall, it's not the most eye-popping lineup and does not have a lot of power, but it's deep with OB 7 bats and has some real star power at the top.

Below is the bench, which features three low on-base guys capable of devastating results off their own charts.  Duda and Duvall arrived as trade pick-ups, but neither put together "must start" type of cards. Suzuki is fun with his 12-17 double range, but unfortunately his mere +3 arm hampers his draftability.

Now onto the pitching!

Rotation:  The Braves have a true ace leading the way in Mike Foltynewicz.  "Mikey F" is a tier 2 stud, basically 01 Kevin Brown but trades one less IP for walks instead of singles... I'll take it for 540 points! He's supported by Anibal Sanchez, who had a really good 2018, earning a stellar Tier 3, Control 3 card (would've been better if he'd pitched more innings).  The Braves pitching depth is showcased in their #3 through #5 starters, who have no real drop off between them.  All three are tier 4 pitchers and bring solid cards to bear.  I personally love the look of the Tehran card, and generally am a sucker for the "navy jersey on red background" look.  I'm pumped to see what Gausman does with a whole season in Atlanta for 2019, as he could end up being one of the most improved cards in the game if he replicates his 2018 Atlanta-only numbers!

Bullpen: Unfortunately, the weakness of this team becomes quickly apparent when looking at the bullpen. ERA-wise, these guys were pretty solid last year, but they drastically outperformed their WHIPs, which are heavily weighted in our RP calculations (as well as filling out an entire set), causing the Braves pitchers to dip in the card rankings. Fortunately, Vizcaino and Winkler are still useful pitchers, and Biddle is also a Tier 4 (even if his control is low).  Brach was really great once he came to Atlanta, but his cumulative 1.596 WHIP absolutely walloped his card, giving him a Control 0, Tier 6 card. If he resigns in Atlanta, watch for a big bounce-back card in 2019!