Three questions for Atlanta Braves after MLB playoffs exit

16.10.2022 - 01:01 espn.com

Longtime Atlanta Braves fans know the unpredictable reality of October baseball. This Braves team was better than the 2021 team that won it all but simply didn't get hot at the right time, losing in disappointing fashion to the Philadelphia Phillies in the division series — a team it finished 14 games ahead of in the regular season.

Still, it was a terrific season: rallying from 10½ games down on June 1 to catch the New York Mets in the final week for a fifth straight NL East title, the franchise's first 100-win season since 2003, and especially the emergence of rookie stars Michael Harris II and Spencer Strider and the breakout performance of 21-game winner Kyle Wright.

The Braves' foundation is stronger than ever. This team is going to be competing for a lot of World Series titles in upcoming seasons. Notable free agents: SS Dansby Swanson, RP Kenley Jansen, OF Adam Duvall, OF Robbie Grossman, SP Jake Odorizzi ($6.5 million player option) Two big holes for the Braves to fill if Swanson and Jansen depart.

Jansen led the National League with 41 saves, but the Braves acquired Raisel Iglesias at the trade deadline, and he's signed through 2025, so they almost certainly will hand the closer duties to Iglesias in 2023. Trade candidates: Well, they would love to find a taker for Marcell Ozuna, but that's a nonstarter.

Philadelphia Phillies New York Atlanta county Harris county Riley Austin

It was almost 24 hours later than expected, but on Tuesday afternoon, as Aaron Judge traded forearm bashes and smiles with teammates after a home run that put the New York Yankees up 4-0, relief had invaded the faces of teammates in the Yankees' dugout. They have seemingly lived at the precipice for weeks now, briefly flirting with the worst collapse in the division era, sliding one game away from elimination in the American League Division Series against the Guardians in Cleveland. With the help of Monday's rainout, the Yankees have survived — and they have advanced.

2022 MLB playoffs - Betting tips for the NLCS and ALCS

The 2022 MLB postseason continues Tuesday with the start of the National League Championship Series between the Philadelphia Phillies and San Diego Padres, a best-of-seven that promises to be packed with drama and intensity. As for the American League, the rain has once again wreaked havoc on the timetable for the New York Yankees and Cleveland Guardians, who will attempt to settle their ALDS best-of-five and finally determine which team gets to move on to face the Houston Astros.

Have MLB’s revamped playoffs made the baseball season an unfair mockery?

Do you accept the results of the 2022 playoffs? This is not some obtuse political metaphor, it’s a conversation being had in some circles after three teams that won more than 100 games in the regular season fell to theoretically inferior squads in the first two rounds of the playoffs. It’s one heck of a debut for baseball’s brand-new postseason format that strikes many fans, particular of those eliminated teams, as essentially unfair.

Padres eliminate Dodgers, advance to NLCS for 1st time since 1998

SAN DIEGO — Jake Cronenworth hit a tiebreaking, two-run single with two outs in the seventh inning and the San Diego Padres rallied past the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-3 Saturday night to advance to the NL Championship Series for the first time since 1998.

Phillies defeat defending champion Atlanta to advance to NLCS for 1st time since 2010

Brandon Marsh hit a three-run homer and J.T. Realmuto lined an inside-the-park home run that sent the Philadelphia Phillies bolting headfirst into the NL Championship Series for the first time since 2010 with an 8-3 win over Atlanta in Game 4 Saturday.

Phillies topple Braves to reach first NL Championship Series since 2010

Brandon Marsh hit a three-run homer and JT Realmuto lined an inside-the-park home run that sent the Philadelphia Phillies bolting headfirst into the NL Championship Series for the first time since 2010 with an 8-3 win over the Atlanta Braves in Game 4 Saturday.