What it will take for the Atlanta Braves to repeat as World Series champions

No matter how much success the Atlanta Braves and, for that matter, the Georgia Bulldogs have for the rest of the roaring 2020s, we will likely look back on this time decades from now and say, “Those were the good ole days.”

The Braves are getting ready to defend their World Series title from a year ago, while the Bulldogs are halfway through the season after winning it all with an undefeated record and ranked number one in the country by the Associated Press.

Yes, these are the good ole days we’re living in right now.

As the Braves prepare to start the division series Tuesday against the Phillies, here is a reminder on how hard it is to repeat. Not since the 1975-76 Cincinnati Reds has a National League team won two World Series titles in a row, and it’s been 22 years since it was done by an American League team (New York Yankees 1999-2000).

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The one thing that might give the Braves a better chance than most is the turnover in the roster. As many as 12 players on this year’s expected roster were not part of what happened last postseason. Ronald Acuna was hurt. Marcell Ozuna was suspended. Matt Olson was in Oakland. And Spencer Strider was a nobody.

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Go back to the 1992-93 Toronto Blue Jays, who won the World Series in consecutive seasons. They had significant turnover, unlike the “Big Red Machine” for the Reds in the mid-1970s and the dominant Yankees in the late-1990s that had very similar rosters. So, perhaps having a little different look than a year ago will help Atlanta’s chances.

The Braves have just completed perhaps the best regular season since the team moved to Atlanta in 1966. The 1998 Braves won 106 games, five more than this year’s bunch. But the difference is how well the Braves played after they started the 2022 season 23-27, when they were 10.5 games back of the New York Mets on May 31.

The Braves played close to .700 baseball the rest of the season, and they even had a stretch of 88 games where they played .727 ball.

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This year was very similar to the 1993 season, when the Braves were down by 10 games to the San Francisco Giants. Then Fred McGriff came over in a trade from San Diego, and the Braves went on a tear. They went 51-17 in their final 68 games to win 104 games and win the division by one game over a 103-win second place Giants team.

However, they were so worn out when the playoffs rolled around that they were beaten by an inferior team, the Philadelphia Phillies, in six games. Luckily, this year, the Braves got five days off after the heated pennant race with the New York Mets before starting the postseason.

It was needed to give a team a breather after not having many stress-free days over the last four months. And it was needed to give Spencer Strider a few more days to get over his oblique injury that cost him the last two weeks of the regular season.

Strider, who will be sticking around for a long time after signing a six-year contract Monday, could be a key to the series. He was 4-0 this year with a 1.27 ERA against the Phillies, by far the best numbers for any Braves starting pitcher. Whether the Braves start him or use him as a long reliever in multiple games, Strider and his electric stuff could help neutralize a Phillies’ offense that can be dangerous.

And let’s be honest. We learned last year that to win in October (and November), a team has to hit home runs and pitch well out of the bullpen. Well, the Braves led the National League with 243 home runs this season, and the bullpen ERA was 3.03 (second-best in the NL behind the Dodgers).

The series with Philadelphia will not be easy. Ranger Suarez, Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola are really good starting pitchers. The Braves will need to get to a weaker Phillies bullpen as early as possible and again, hit home runs. The team that hits the most homers in this series could win it.

Atlanta’s home field advantage, which was palatable in the series against the Mets a few weeks ago, will also be important. The Phillies know this well, having been swept by the Braves in Atlanta just three weeks ago. The Battery should be packed for every game, as fans will want a repeat of last season.

Could it happen? Certainly. Like last year, heroes will need to step up and get the big hits, get the big strikeouts. All the Braves have to do is go 11-8, and if they continue playing like they have since June 1, they’ll have a legit chance for another parade in downtown Atlanta.

Listen to The Bill Shanks Show weekdays at 3:00 on TheSuperStations.com. You can email Bill at thebillshanksshow@yahoo.com.

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Atlanta Braves and Georgia football living in the good ole days