Talking Chop · Jul 9, 2018
Reshuffling a talented Braves lineup as the first-half winds down
Thus far in 2018, the Braves have far outperformed their consensus preseason projections, which had them hovering somewhere around 75-80 wins. Atlanta currently sits atop the National League East, and despite a tough finish to their most recent road trip, have plenty of reason for optimism for the remainder of the season. One issue however, especially in recent days against quality opponents, has been a lack of production from the top of the lineup. The Braves have gotten very little from leadoff man Ender Inciarte, second place hitter Ozzie Albies has been hit or miss, and Freddie Freeman has been mired in his most significant slump of the season. These developments, and the longer track records of each player, call into question the viability of the current lineup down the stretch. What would an ideal Braves lineup look like, without accounting for any personnel changes at the trade deadline?