Braves Must Seize the Moment in Colorado Series

Apr 12, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Atlanta Braves outfielder Michael Harris II (23) is congratulated after hitting a two-run home run during the ninth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Atlanta is three games below .500, but this upcoming three-game Colorado series presents a golden opportunity for the Braves to head back home even at 15-15. The Rockies, sitting at 4-23, are by far the worst team in Major League Baseball. While nothing is guaranteed, you still have to play the games. I would be completely shocked if Atlanta didn’t at least take the series. Honestly, they should sweep them. Colorado really has no business beating Atlanta. I wholeheartedly believe that, but as the old saying goes, you can’t count your chickens before they hatch.

The Braves have been trending in the right direction lately. They’ve won seven of their last nine games, with three straight series wins, and they’ve done it the hard way too. A lot of those wins have come late, with the Braves finding ways to pull games out in the seventh inning or later, which says a lot about their toughness even when they aren’t firing on all cylinders. Winning can cover up a lot of flaws, but as we saw today, some issues still pop up and can cost you — like struggling with runners in scoring position. Atlanta went just 4-for-15 with runners in scoring position today and left 10 total runners stranded on the bases. They only lost the game by two. A couple of those chances cashed in, and the Braves may have left Arizona with a sweep. Baseball is a long season, and the Braves are still nowhere close to where they want to be, but I have to be honest and give them props for the strides they’ve made over the past couple of weeks.

One of the biggest bright spots lately has been the production from Alex Verdugo and Eli White. Verdugo was a spark plug today, going 4-for-4 with two RBIs and a walk against the Diamondbacks. He’s batting .333 with an .840 OPS and has been a lightning rod for the lineup since assuming the leadoff spot. Meanwhile, Eli White has made the most of his opportunities, going 4-for-12 with a home run and four RBIs during the Arizona series. White has been in the starting lineup for four consecutive games now and has definitely earned his way into more playing time with the way he’s been producing.

One thing that still needs fixing is consistent production in the middle of the order. Today, hitters four through six went a combined 0-for-12, with Matt Olson drawing two walks being the only to reach base between him, Harris II, and Albies. I will say Michael Harris II and Matt Olson have both been pretty solid lately, so I’m not acting like they haven’t contributed, but the real question is, what’s going on with Ozzie Albies? He’s had his moments, but they’ve been few and far between so far this season. Albies has to find himself and start climbing out of the unproductive hole he’s in. Through 27 games, Albies is hitting just .229 with a .664 OPS. Even more telling, he’s just 2-for-16 with runners in scoring position and two outs. In today’s game alone, he went 0-for-5 with multiple chances to help give the Braves a breakthrough.

Brian Snitker isn’t worried about Albies, though, saying, “He has a lot of confidence and understands that this is a seven-month season. He could rattle off two great months and be right where you want him to be.”

That’s actually true and could happen, but it would be encouraging to see some signs of progress sooner rather than later. This upcoming series in Colorado feels like the perfect opportunity for him to start turning things around. If he doesn’t show better results there, it may be time for the Braves to consider a lineup tweak until Albies finds his rhythm again. Maybe there’s something to build on; Albies has had a little success against Rockies starter Ryan Feltner, with a home run and three RBIs in just four career at-bats. So maybe tomorrow night, if Albies is in the lineup, that will be something to pay attention to.

Meanwhile, Bryce Elder will take the mound Monday night, looking to build on his best outing of the season. In his last start on April 23rd against St. Louis, Elder tossed six innings, allowing just five hits and one earned run. If there’s ever a team to keep the good momentum rolling against, it’s the Rockies.

Atlanta has a real chance to take care of business in Colorado and finally get back to even. Now, it’s time to see if they can take full advantage of it.