This would weaken the stakes of a dozen or so rivalries. And like BH said, no one in Tennessee or North Carolina is going to jump off the Braves train.
My proposal: Instead of trying to expand into new markets, let’s make our established markets even more competitive. What do I mean by that? A second Atlanta team.
If you like the subway series, you’re gonna love the MARTA series. All you have to do is take a train to the Arts Center station. From there, use your favorite ride share app to take you to the commuter lot. Once there, hop on a Cobb County Transit Authority bus for a short, 10-mile trip up I-75 during rush hour. After that,
I can’t imagine the Braves would care for their footprint being split with two other teams, but I think they could have one forced on them. I think between expansion and Oakland relocating (I think it’s inevitable), that Montreal, Las Vegas, and either Nashville/Charlotte would work well as the cities. I’d also do 4 divisions of 8 teams to keep more rivalries: East- Tor-Mon-Bos-NYM-NYY-Bal-DC-Phi Midwest- Pit-Cin-Cle-CHC-CWS-DET-Mil-Min South- Mia-TB-Atl-(Nas/Cha)-Stl-KC-Hou-Tx West- Sea-SF-LAD-LAA-SD-LV-Col-Ari Play 7 intradivision teams 12 times (6 home, 6 away) and 24 interdivivion teams 3 times for a total of 156 games. (7x12=84, 24x3=72). Top 4 from each division make the playoffs.
Atlanta Braves 30th overall 30th in quality depth (prospects better than 40 FV) $44 million total value 26 players 1. Owen Murphy, RHP, 45 FV 2. J.R. Ritchie, RHP, 45 FV 3. A.J. Smith-Shawver, RHP, 45 FV 4. Spencer Schwellenbach, RHP, 45 FV 5. Cole Phillips, RHP, 40+ FV 6. Dylan Dodd, LHP, 40+ FV 40 FV (10): Jared Shuster/LHP, Braden Shewmake/SS, Jesse Franklin/LF, Drake Baldwin/C, Ignacio Alvarez/3B, Diego Benitez/SS, Adam Maier/RHP, Luis Guanipa/CF, Darius Vines/RHP, Geraldo Quintero/SS 35+ FV (10): Blake Burkhalter/RHP, Seth Keller/RHP, David McCabe/3B, Cal Conley/2B, Roddery Munoz/RHP, Douglas Glod/CF, Ambioris Tavarez/3B, Luke Waddell/2B, Brandol Mezquita/CF, Victor Vodnik/RHP 2023 Impact: Dodd 40+ FV breakout pick: Ritchie 40 FV or less breakout pick: Alvarez Ranked prospects beyond the Top 100 Murphy, Ritchie, and Phillips are all prep righties who received the three highest bonuses Atlanta handed out from the 2022 MLB draft, totaling just under $6.5 million. Murphy was one of my picks to click because, unique amongst the riskiest draft demographic as a prep righty, he had the ingredients to hold his trade value for years. As a cold-weather, multisport, two-way prospect who looks solid to eyeball scouts and has plus athleticism and good TrackMan characteristics, he will still be attractive to teams in a deal no matter how his first few years went. He could have three plus pitches and command if it all clicks, but it's still early. Ritchie was a known name early in his high school career, dealing in the low-90s at West Coast underclass high school events. In his draft spring, he'd run it up to 97 mph but often settle in the low-90s by the middle of his outings. The selling points were his projection, command and changeup, which are all plus, along with an above-average breaking ball. If he can keep those constant and hold 92-96 mph all season, he'll be comfortably on the Top 100 next year. Phillips was good at those same summer events but broke into top-50-pick consideration with a blistering start to the spring, sitting in the upper-90s, hitting 100, and mixing in a plus hammer curveball. He needed Tommy John surgery before the draft but was drawing glowing pre-draft reports from teams for his makeup; expect to see him later in 2023 or in the fall with a chance to dominate A-ball when let loose. Smith-Shawver was a priority for me to track down last season when I was hearing he was into the upper-90s with a plus slider and a chance to be a starter. That matches the rosiest version of his pre-2021 draft scouting report, but that's what he became in 2022. His style is still a little more butcher than surgeon and that means there is reliever risk in his future, but he's now a nice find for a $1 million bonus in the seventh round. Schwellenbach also signed for $1 million in the 2021 draft, but that was a below-slot bonus in the second round because teams knew he would need Tommy John surgery. He hasn't returned yet but should be ready to ease back into games at the beginning of the season. The results when he does come back could be exciting, with some scouts hanging 70 grades on his mid-90s heater and 60 grades on his slider and curveball. He also has enough athleticism for his control to work in some multi-inning role. Dodd signed for well under slot value in the 2021 third round as a potential quick-moving lefty, and he has followed that by making it all the way to Triple-A in 2022. He has solid-average stuff and command with his slider as the main weapon, and he seems likely to find a meaningful big league role of some kind. Others of note You could slide Shuster up a notch next to Dodd, but I have him down here because he has a 45-grade heater and his slider is fringe-to-average. Shuster is the familiar changeup-and-command lefty that needs to show enough moxie and execution to turn a lineup over a few times or he could end up just a spot starter/long reliever. Shewmake is the third straight player mentioned with a chance to impact the 2023 big league club, and his path is easy to see with an above-average glove at short and above-average contact skills at the plate. That said, his pitch selection is a bit below average and his in-game power is well below average despite his 6-foot-4 frame. Vines is also on the 40-man roster and may get a look in 2023. His selling point is a 49% whiff rate on his plus changeup, but his 90-94 mph heater plays as a 40-grade pitch. The next six guys I want to hit on here are all from the 2022 draft haul. Baldwin is an offensive-minded catcher whose hit tool and approach are his best qualities, but he also has average raw power (which he's still learning to tap into), arm strength and defensive ability behind the plate. Alvarez is the sleeper of the group, a late-rising junior college shortstop who probably slides over to third base and can really hit -- but power upside is the question. Maier popped up last summer in six Cape Cod League appearances as a little-known prospect from the University of British Columbia who then transferred to Oregon and became the Friday night starter. He only made three starts last year before going down with an elbow injury that led to a UCL repair with a brace procedure (as opposed to conventional Tommy John surgery), but the nine appearances was enough to give him $1.2 million. Maier shows an above-average three-pitch mix with lots of horizontal life from a low three-quarter arm slot. Burkhalter is the opposite of some of these high-risk/reward arms, as a reliever from Auburn who is pretty close to a finished product. He has a plus four-seam fastball and cutter, posting a 71-to-7 strikeout to walk ratio in his draft year. Keller was one of my favorites from the spring as a shorter righty who is a plus athlete and throws strikes with three above average pitches but has some violence to his delivery. McCabe is a big switch-hitter with easy plus raw power along with some feel to hit. He has plus arm strength, but the question is if he can stay at third base.
what is super exciting is that he was good last year from a normal human perspective. he just sucked by his standards.
For as fast as he is, he gets a really small lead. Getting caught stealing 11 times last year was pretty bad.
Whereas Strider wants to be Rick Vaughn from Major League, Michael Soroka (and his fiancée Flannery) wants to be Vaughn from Major League 2. Ian is that Doc joker from Back to the Minors.
you know fraudie and klansby would deadname soroka. so glad we got that element out of the clubhouse.
DOB is just getting it in before he hops on the hog and heads down to Florida for ST. The life cycle of a scribe.
Chipper stepping in to fill Dansby’s role of making sure the Deep State Cabal doesn’t infiltrate the clubhouse