The Atlanta Braves had a pretty good season in 2020, are they able to back it up again and make the playoffs in 2021.The Atlanta Braves spent the 2020 season on top of the NL East, going 35-25 and reaching the NLCS, losing to the eventual champion Los Angeles Dodgers. The Braves are hoping to get back in the World Series and win for the first time since 1995 this coming season.
This MLB betting preview shows that the Atlanta Braves have a great shot of getting back to the top. The Braves have a +900 line to win the World Series, one of the best totals around. You will find plenty of things to love about the Braves when looking at something for your MLB betting desires.
Two MVP Candidates
The Atlanta Braves will be led by two prominent National League MVP candidates. Freddie Freeman has a great shot of winning a second consecutive MVP title. Freeman went .341 last year with thirteen home runs and was one of the top all-around players on the team last year.
Ronald Acuna Jr. is the other exciting MVP candidate to spot. The 22-year-old outfielder slumped in the past season with a .250 average, but he also had fourteen home runs. Acuna is expected to be one of those players who saw a slump in 2020 but will experience a major revival in 2021.
These two players will compete well alongside an already prominent offense featuring Ozzie Albies, Dansby Swanson, Austin Riley, and Travis d’Arnaud. Expect the Braves to have plenty of high-scoring games throughout the season.
Will Ozuna Return?
One question to note about the 2021 Braves entails whether Marcell Ozuna will return. Ozuna benefitted from the temporary rule allowing the designated hitter in the National League.
That DH rule will return in 2021, and the Braves could use Ozuna in that position once more. Ozuna went .338 with eighteen home runs and had four more hits than Freeman. There’s a good chance he will return, but whether that will come true remains an uncertainty.
Congratulations to Brian Snitker for being named @BaseballAmerica’s 2020 Manager of the Year!#ForTheA pic.twitter.com/1bXodFRlUw
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) December 1, 2020
Pitching Points
Mike Soroka will return in 2021 from an Achilles injury. He has resumed throwing, and he is hoping to make a return to form. He was the runner-up for the NL Rookie of the Year award in 2019, and he showed strong promise in the thirteen innings he pitched last year.
Max Fried went 7-0 last season and will remain the top starter. Ian Anderson may reach the second spot on the rotation after having a few solid starts near the end of the season. Drew Smyly will join the Braves’ pitching roster in 2021, but his injury history might make him irrelevant.
Are the Braves Worthy of a Bet?
The Atlanta Braves will be looking to hold off a New York Mets team that improved significantly and a Washington Nationals team trying to rebound from an ugly 2020. The Braves have two great MVP candidates and a solid rotation featuring two great starters and one who will be returning from an injury. We feel that the Atlanta Braves will be a great choice for your MLB betting plans this coming season.
*Odds are correct at time of writing.
While the latest season of the MLB may be still a little while off, if you want your fix of information, make sure you check out our MLB hub page!
Image by: Patrick Rouin
