What do you know? 3 predictions that could still be right
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I’m actually not as assured as I used to be once I made this prediction in March. Olson is on tempo to hit 52 homers, which might eclipse Andruw Jones’ franchise report (51). Acuña is on tempo for 38 and Riley for 28.
Why it would nonetheless occur: Acuña homered eight occasions through the first 15 days of August in 2018 and tallied 10 homers throughout the identical span the next 12 months. It’s doable he might take pleasure in one other a kind of early-August tears and set himself up for the second 40-homer season of his younger profession.
As for Riley, he homered as soon as each 10.6 at-bats in July 2021 and as soon as each 9.45 at bats in July 2022. Slightly altering a borrowed line from the nice Toby Keith, historical past reveals us Riley is perhaps on the point of gentle up opposing pitchers’ worlds prefer it’s the month of July.
My second prediction was Acuña could have a 40-40 season.
Acuña is on tempo for 38 homers and 72 stolen bases. You learn above why I’m nonetheless assured he’ll attain 40 homers. The most attention-grabbing growth will likely be the place he results in the stolen base class. Otis Nixon set the fashionable period franchise report with 72 steals in 1991.
I’m going to foretell Nixon will stay the one Braves participant since 1900 to tally a minimum of 70 steals. But I believe Acuña might turn into the primary participant in AL/NL historical past to have a 40-60 season. Even if he falls quick within the homer class, he might find yourself with the primary 30-60 season in AL/NL historical past. The solely two 30 homers-50 steals seasons had been produced by Barry Bonds (1990) and Eric Davis (1987).
My third prediction was the Braves could have one other 100-win season.
Had I identified Max Fried and Kyle Wright had been going to mix to make 10 begins (eight of the wholesome selection) within the season’s first half, I wouldn’t have made such a ridiculous prediction. But with out two of their high starters, the Braves are on tempo for 107 wins, which might eclipse the franchise report (106) set in 1998.
