The Atlanta Braves Are World Series Champions!
Photo Via: Daniel Shirey — Getty ImagesWho would have thought?! The Atlanta Braves are World Series champions for the first time since 1995. An 88-win team in the regular season, but a juggernaut in the Postseason — that is the 2021 Braves.
Never Shut It Down
Heading into the year, nobody would have thought that Atlanta could lose Ronald Acuña Jr., Marcell Ozuna, and Mike Soroka for the remainder of the season and still make it to the Postseason, let alone the World Series. However, that did not stop GM Alex Anthopoulos from making a push. He got on the phone in July and completely revamped the outfield. Eddie Rosario was shipped in from Minnesota, Adam Duvall from Miami, Joc Pederson from Chicago, and Jorge Soler from Kansas City.
Soler became the World Series MVP. Rosario was the NLCS MVP. Duvall blasted two homers in the World Series, including a grand slam. Pederson and his pearls whacked two game-winning home runs in the NLDS.
World Series Challenges
Even in the World Series itself, the Braves had to overcome adversity. Game 1 starter Charlie Morton fractured his fibula when he was hit by a one-hop liner. He responded by throwing 14 pitches on a bad leg, giving his all to the Braves and setting the tone for the series. The Braves decided to go with bullpen games for Game 4 and Game 5 since the club was down a starter. Dylan Lee, who had 2 innings of major league experience, started Game 4. Tucker Davidson, with 21 innings under his belt, started Game 5.
The Night Shift
Typically, a team does not overcome that type of scenario, but Atlanta’s bullpen proved unbeatable. The star of the Postseason out of Atlanta’s “arm barn” was Tyler Matzek. The lefty threw 15.2 innings and allowed just 3 runs in the playoffs. He consistently pitched out of jams and powered fastballs right by Houston’s best hitters. He also delivered the coolest nickname ever given to a group of relief pitchers.
Matzek was not alone in his effort to dominate out of the bullpen, and he was statistically bested by the team’s closer.
Last Postseason, Will Smith took on the brunt of criticism from Atlanta fans when he allowed a series-changing home run to the Dodgers’ catcher of the same name. This Postseason, Smith was perfect. And I mean perfect. Smith tossed 11 innings in 11 appearances — all scoreless. He struck out 8 and only allowed 8 to reach base. That is how you do it.
Flipping The Switch
Starting pitchers are not guaranteed to make two starts in the World Series, but if the first one does not go well, then you know that pitcher is hoping for a second bite at the apple. So when Max Fried put up a losing effort in Game 2, it was clear he was going to make himself ready for redemption in Houston. He got the opportunity in Game 6 and boy, did he take advantage of it.
The flip switched in the first inning when Fried was charged with an error on a slow ground ball from Michael Brantley. Fried ran to cover first base and fielded the underhand toss from Freddie Freeman, but the left-handed pitcher failed to step on the first base bag, allowing Brantley to reach. On the play, Brantley stepped onto Fried’s leg, right by his ankle. After what appeared to be an extremely dangerous play, Mac got back on the mound, threw a few warmup pitches, and dug himself right out of trouble. He then twirled five more scoreless innings. That means Fried threw six shutout innings in an elimination game — what an outing!
Hometown Hero
Everybody loves a nice hometown hero, so we should not forget the amazing interview that Dansby Swanson gave after Game 4 in Atlanta. As far as World Series postgame interviews go, this was right up there with some of the greatest.
Dansby was traded from the Arizona Diamondbacks to the Braves after he was selected with the first overall pick out of Vanderbilt. He later went on Jomboy Media’s Talkin’ Baseball podcast and discussed what it was like being traded to his hometown and how to navigate growing into a major league baseball player while being surrounded by the people from your childhood days. The shortstop expressed confusion as to why he was dealt when he had such a promising future ahead. He also outlined the difficulties of handling high expectations while in close proximity to family and longtime friends. Now, Swanson has reached the pinnacle of success in the major leagues and has found the balance he has needed while identifying the bright spots of playing in his hometown. It is truly an amazing interview.
The True Superstar
Where would the Braves be without their most consistent superstar, Freddie Freeman? Last year’s MVP had a slow start to 2021, but somehow still ended the year with a .300 average and 31 homers. That perfectly described Freddie Freeman. You do not have to worry about him. At the end of the day, his numbers will be great. Even in the Postseason, he put together an OPS north of 1.000 in 16 games. It was quite perfect that the World Series ended with Mr. Freeman himself pocketing the baseball from the final out, much like his first baseman friend Anthony Rizzo.