This continues my series of bold predictions for the Braves in 2022. If you missed any of the previous parts, follow the links below.
- Kyle Wright is the team’s breakout starÂ
- Matt Olson sets the new single-season franchise record for home runs
- Dansby Swanson’s send off is one to rememberÂ
- Bryce Elder makes an impact
Repeating as World Champs
The World Series might be the most challenging championship to capture. So much has to go right for an organization over the years, and it usually begins with a lengthy rebuild. The farm system has to be replenished, teams have to hit on their draft picks, and the young talent has to be developed, which all has to happen before these young men ever step foot on a major-league baseball field. From top to bottom, the organization has to work as one to even put a product on the field worthy of the postseason. Then, most clubs have to go through the grueling heartbreak of October several times before they break through… if they ever do.
The Braves know this as well as anyone. They had to wait 26 years in between championships, despite making the playoffs in well over half of those seasons. Baseball is so wonderfully random, which is part of what makes the postseason so exciting. However, it also makes it incredibly hard for lightning to strike twice in back-to-back seasons.
The last team to repeat as World Series champions was the Yankees, who won three straight titles from 1998 to 2000. The Blue Jays (’92-’93) are the only other team to do it in the last 40 years. It is that rare, but I think the Braves will join them this season.
Atlanta has all the ingredients to go back-to-back. On paper, their roster can compete with anyone. They have a significantly better team than they did a season ago, and everything is set up for them to be loaded by the time October rolls around. Still, a complete roster only gets teams so far in the postseason. Experience is key, and few teams have more of it than the Braves. They’ve proven to be as poised as anybody when the lights are the brightest, and now they’re playing with house money. There’s no reason this Braves team shouldn’t be the favorite to win the whole damn thing again in 2022.
Of course, the best rosters don’t always win championships, and experience isn’t everything. If that were the case, the Dodgers might have won ten titles in a row. However, I think the Braves are going to shock a lot of the naysayers. This is the best team they’ve put together since the early 2000s. So why can’t the Braves repeat?
You must log in to post a comment.