Braves using aggression to stay ahead
Atlanta is going for younger and faster this year.
CUMBERLAND — The Atlanta Braves came into the 2018 season with a change in philosophy. They shed older and slower players from last season to go younger and faster.
Aggression became the Braves’ mantra going into spring training, and that has been boosted by a 25-man roster with an average of 27.7 years old — the fifth-youngest in the majors.
“We are a very athletic team,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “This is the way we played when this team put all those banners on that light pole. We have to be aggressive on the basepaths.”
It started with the hiring of Eric Young as the team’s first base coach and baserunning instructor.
Young stole 485 bases during a 15year career. In a 1996 game with the Colorado Rockies, he stole second, third and home in a single inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
It is a type of mentality the Braves were looking for when they brought Young aboard.
“When your team is aggressive, it puts pressure on the defense. Once you start pressing, it makes them think,” Young said. “When a team has to start thinking, they might make mistakes. It’s our job to capitalize.”
Braves center fielder Ender Inciarte was an early adopter of Young’s aggressive approach. During the offeseason, he worked with speed coach Tom Shaw in Florida, and he worked with Young during the spring.
“It’s all about helping the team win,” Inciarte said. “It’s doing whatever I can do to make sure we have an advantage. Our team needs to be aggressive.”
Inciarte came into Saturday ranking second in the majors and first in the National League with 13 steals — already more than halfway to his total of 22 from all of last season — while the Braves were fourth in the majors with 24.
At times, stolen base attempts come the inevitable fails. The Braves have been caught stealing nine times.
Snitker would prefer that number be lower, but he accepts that it comes with the territory.
“Sometimes, the defense makes a play and there’s nothing you can do,” Snitker said. “Other times, it’s a case of being too aggressive or bad timing, but you can’t give up on it because it didn’t work one time.”
Snitker will also ask the player what he saw on the attempt.
“Sometimes, you can ask the guy and he’ll actually be right,” Snitker said. “He could’ve had a good idea and it just didn’t work out. We communicate and everybody learns.”
The Braves’ baserunning is not just about steals. It is also about going to second on what would have been a single, or going from first to third on a base hit. It could be scoring from third on a dribbler back to the mound.
Few players have done that better than Ozzie Albies. The 21-year-old second baseman entered Saturday’s game leading the majors in extra-base hits (23), runs (32) and total bases (82). He was tied with the lead with 12 doubles.
“I love watching that guy fly around the bases,” Snitker said. “He is so fast and has so much energy. As soon as he hits the ball, you can tell he’s going for two.”
The Braves’ offense has become formidable, paced by aggression. The club led the NL with 176 runs, 74 doubles and 118 extra-base hits.
Freddie Freeman is not known for his speed, but he was right behind Albies with 11 doubles. The veteran first baseman also bought in early on the new attitude.
“We knew that we weren’t going to be a team that bashes the ball over the fence all the time, so we have to create runs,” Freeman said. “And it’s fun to watch. We have a team full of good and young players. They’re athletic and like to go. It’s who we are and what we have to do to win.”