Atlanta Braves
Jason Bishop Show April 24 2025
Run
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
They all should have known better.
Jarred Kelenic should have ran. Brian Snitker should have benched his talent. And Ronald Acuña Jr. should have addressed the double standard internally rather than taking to X to say, “If it were me, they would take me out of the game.”
Acuña, who is not with the Atlanta Braves while recovering from a torn left ACL, later deleted his controversial post. The problem for Snitker, a Braves lifer, is that his star right fielder essentially stated a fact.
Snitker removed Acuña from a game in August 2019 for the same offense Kelenic committed Saturday night; failing to run hard on a fly ball out of the batter’s box he thought would be a home run.
He also pulled Ender Inciarte for lack of hustle in July 2018 and Marcell Ozuna for the same misstep in June 2023. Do you sense a pattern?
Snitker defended Acuña when the Miami Marlins repeatedly drilled Acuña in 2018. He continued playing Ozuna when many Braves fans booed him and wanted him released during his slow start to the 2023 season. And those are just two examples.
Still, just as players make mistakes, so do managers. Snitker hardly distinguished himself with his failure to bench Kelenic and his feeble responses to reporters’ questions about the incident the past two days.
Consider what Snitker said after benching Acuña, then the reigning NL Rookie of the Year, in 2019:
“He didn’t run. You’ve got to run. It’s not going to be acceptable here. As a teammate, you’re responsible for 24 other guys. That name on the front is a lot more important than the name on the back of that jersey.
“You can’t do that. We’re trying to accomplish and do something special here, and personal things have to be put on the back burner. You just can’t let your team down like that.”
Snitker should have taken the same stance with Kelenic, a struggling player and easier target than Acuña, a future MVP. Kelenic very well could be the player sent to Triple A when Acuña rejoins the Braves, possibly in early May.
Acuña was 21 then. He is 27 now, married with two sons. The general consensus around the Braves in recent seasons was that he matured, in the way most young players do in the MLB.
His post on X, like many reactions on social media, was made in the heat of the moment. But if there’s one thing players detest in managers, it’s inconsistency. Snitker was inconsistent with Kelenic. Acuña can be forgiven for lodging an objection.
How will this play out?
Jason Bishop Show April 10 2025
NL East Beasts
By: Michael Spiers
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
It’s a glorious time for a sports fan, even without the NFL.
We are down to the Sweet 16 in March Madness and the Masters starts soon. Heck, even the United Football League (UFL) is supposed to start the season this week. The most important of all…the MLB season starts.
This is Braves country, but with so much National League East talk about the Mets and Phillies this offseason, it’s easy to forget that the Braves, even with a rough year, still won 89 games and made the playoffs in 2024. By our standards, that was a down season.
The biggest reason? Health. Last season, Ronald Acuña Jr. and Spencer Strider missed most of the year, and while neither will be ready for Opening Day, both should be back early in the season.
Other players like Chris Sale, Reynaldo López, and Ozzie Albies have durability concerns, but it’s hard to imagine the Braves dealing with worse injury luck than they did in 2024.
The rotation has some holes to fill with Max Fried and Charlie Morton gone, leaving a big workload to replace. Young guys like AJ Smith-Shawver and Grant Holmes, will have to step up early while Strider works his way back.
The bullpen also took a hit, losing A.J. Minter to the Mets and Joe Jiménez to injury. The Braves always seem to find solid relievers, and I think Raisel Iglesias, Pierce Johnson, and Aaron Bummer will be key.
What makes Atlanta dangerous, though, is their offense. Michael Harris II is a breakout MVP candidate, the addition of Jurickson Profar adds depth, and if Austin Riley and Matt Olson play to their potential, this lineup can carry them. If Acuña comes back at full strength, the Braves could be the most balanced team in the NL.
The NL East is shaping up to be the toughest division in baseball. Three teams—the Braves, Phillies, and Mets—made the playoffs last season, and all three expect to be back.
Throw in an improving Nationals squad, and it’s going to be a battle all year long.
The Phillies finally won the NL East last season but got knocked out early in the playoffs by the Mets.
Their core, including Bryce Harper, is still strong, but they’re is getting older. The big question is consistency. They started last year red-hot but faded in the second half. Which version will show up in 2025? If they stay steady, they’re good enough to win the division again, but if age starts catching up, they could take a step back.
The Mets made a deep playoff run last season, knocking out the Phillies before falling to the Dodgers. Then, they made a huge splash by signing Juan Soto in the offseason, giving them a stacked lineup with Francisco Lindor, Pete Alonso, and Brandon Nimmo.
I think in 2025, their biggest question is pitching. Their bats are strong, but if the pitching falters, they could be stuck fighting for a Wild Card spot.
The Washington Nationals have been rebuilding. Young stars Dylan Crews and James Wood are the future, and adding veterans Nathaniel Lowe and Josh Bell should help them compete.
The rotation has potential, with MacKenzie Gore and former Brave Michael Soroka looking to bounce back. I don’t think they’re playoff-bound yet, but they could be a tough matchup, especially late in the season.
Miami has struggled and could be headed for another 100-loss season. If they get off to a slow start, expect them to trade away any valuable players by midseason.
Sandy Alcántara is back from injury, and young ace Eury Pérez should return after the All-Star break.
The 2025 NL East is going to be a dogfight. The Braves, Phillies, and Mets all have the talent to win the division, while the Nationals are a team to watch for the future. The Marlins? Not so much.
Atlanta looks ready for a comeback, but with Philly and New York in the mix, nothing will come easy. Expect a tight race, plenty of drama, and some must-watch matchups all season long.
Jason Bishop Show March 6 2025
Jason Bishop Show February 27 2025
Jason Bishop Show February 13 2025
Jason Bishop Show February 5 2025
Jason Bishop Show January 16 2025
Jason Bishop Show August 15 2024
