By: Kipp Branch

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

Now that baseball seems to be a reality in late July. Let’s take a good look at the Atlanta Braves for 2020.

The 2020 season will be 60 games and the season will feel like a prolonged playoff instead of the 162-game grind.

Let’s take a look at your Atlanta Braves:

Ronald Acuna Jr. is, in my opinion, the best young player in baseball. Acuna will be in the NL MVP discussion this year. Freddie Freeman is also an MVP candidate and at age 30 still has a lot left in the tank. Acuna and Freeman give the Atlanta roster two superstars in the lineup every day.

Marcell Ozuna was added in free agency from St. Louis. Ozzie Albies and Dansby Swanson will be up the middle, with what should be an above average bench featuring Nick Markakis and Austin Riley.

The team did lose Josh Donaldson and his 37 HR’s in free agency, Can Ozuna offset that production?

My Projected Starting Lineup:

Ronald Acuna (RF)

Ozzie Albies (2B)

Freddie Freeman (1B)

Marcell Ozuna (LF)

Johan Camargo (3B)

Nick Markakis (DH)

Dansby Swanson (SS)

Travis d’Arnaud (C)

Ender Inciarte (CF)

I’m assuming Johan Camargo will win the third base job for Atlanta in my lineup card.

Austin Riley may be the future at 3B, but I am betting on a good season for Camargo in 2020.

This batting order is as good as any in baseball in my opinion. Universal DH in the shortened season will be adopted in the National League will give the Braves the opportunity to let Markakis get swings every day to protect his body from the daily grind of the outfield.

Starting Pitching: Alex Anthopoulos went out and signed veteran, lefty Cole Hamels to a one-year deal and signed former Mariner Felix Hernandez also.

Hernandez could be the wild card here if he looks like he did in Seattle. This addition will put the Braves in the World Series discussion. Hamels, who was set to start the regular season on the injured list, should be rested and ready to go now that the season has been delayed.

Mike Soroka, Mike Foltynewicz, who was brilliant down the stretch until getting blistered in Game 5 of the NLDS, Max Fried and Sean Newcomb will be your starters. Soroka will win a Cy Young Award in Atlanta.

Kyle Wright and Touki Toussaint both got big league innings in 2019.

I like this rotation talent wise, and in a 60-game season, the pickup of Hamels and Hernandez could be looked upon as two of the best moves in Braves history.

Relief Pitching: Going into the 2019 season the Braves bullpen was a big issue. Going into a shortened 2020 season it could be the best in baseball.

The bullen will be anchored by Mark Melancon, Shane Greene and Chris Martin. They re-signed Martin this offseason before he tested free agency.

Atlanta signed former Giants closer Will Smith to maybe form a duo with Melancon at the back end of the bullpen. Darren O’Day, who missed almost all of the 2019 season with a forearm injury, returns healthy. Quality arms are everywhere.

Manager: Brian Snitker has something to prove in 2020.

Snitker has been with the Braves organization since 1977. The roster is there for a trip to the World Series. Can Snitker get this team over the hump and erase those awful Game 5 NLDS memories from 2019?

Predicted Record: 38-22. NL East Champions, National League Champions, Lose in 7 games to the New York Yankees in the World Series.

Biggest potential hurdle in 2020: Covid-19 wipes out the proposed season.