Braves’ 2016 season a tale of two halves

ATLANTA — Though the overall record might not have been aesthetically pleasing, the significant improvements made over the final two months enabled the Braves to exit the 2016 season with a sense of satisfaction and reason to believe they might indeed be nearing the final stages of their rebuilding process.

Freddie Freeman produced an MVP-caliber season that was enriched by Matt Kemp’s arrival as well as the second-half surge Ender Inciarte generated, while proving to be a legitimate catalyst in the leadoff spot. The Braves possessed one of the game’s least productive lineups through the season’s first half — and one of the most productive during the second half.

Unfortunately, the hope-inspiring stretches experienced during the final stages did not erase the damage created by the nine consecutive losses incurred to start the season — or the 9-29 record at the time Fredi Gonzalez became Atlanta’s first manager to be dismissed in more than a quarter of a century.

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Brian Snitker accepted the challenge of handling the managerial duties over the remainder of the season. In the process, he proved he would be more than capable of handling this role on a full-time basis in the future. The players responded favorably to Snitker, who was certainly challenged while dealing with a starting rotation that was depleted by both injuries and growing pains that forced a couple of young starters to return to the Triple-A level.

A seven-game winning streak in September helped the Braves avoid a 100-loss season, which had seemed inevitable as late as early August. At the same time, it strengthened the positive vibes that were taken away from a season that certainly possessed contrasting halves.

Record: 68-93, fifth place, National League East

Defining moment: Freeman was in the midst of a pedestrian season, plagued by some minor ailments before he hit for the cycle during a 13-inning comeback win over the Reds on June 15. This started a six-game winning streak and a 3 1/2-month surge that enabled the first baseman to complete this season ranked near the league leaders in many different offensive categories. Some pitching woes prevented the Braves from maximizing the value of Freeman’s production. But once Kemp was acquired from the Padres on July 30 and Inciarte moved back to the leadoff spot on Aug. 5, the offense proved to be strong enough to occasionally cover for some of the team’s weaknesses.

What went right: Kemp provided Freeman with protection, lengthened the lineup and, from an offensive perspective, exceeded the …

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