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Lineup evolution bolstered Braves’ second-half surge
- Updated: December 14, 2016
ATLANTA — Freddie Freeman was certainly the key ingredient, but the MVP-caliber production he provided over this past season’s final three-plus months was not the only reason the Braves won 50 of their final 97 games after starting off with an 18-46 record. That start had put them on pace to record one of the worst winning percentages in Major League history.
As the Braves posted the National League’s sixth-best winning percentage (.515) dating back to June 15, Freeman produced an impressive 1.095 OPS and anchored a lineup that improved throughout the summer. The rotation never took shape over any long strong stretch, but a once-maligned offense that produced MLB’s second-best runs per game (5.16) after July 31 made up for its inconsistencies.
The Braves have attempted to add stability to their rotation with Bartolo Colon, R.A. Dickey and Jaime Garcia. But optimism for the next season extends beyond what these three veterans can offer as short-term bridges toward the wealth of high-quality pitching prospects making their way toward Atlanta. The Braves’ hopes to produce a winning record are equally entrenched in what transpired over the course of …
