Not Rockies but $3B MLB Team Dubbed Season’s Biggest Disappointment After Controversial Front Office Decisions

If you had to pick the worst team in MLB this year, one name that you probably would think of undoubtedly would be the Colorado Rockies. And it’s not without reason. With a 9-44 record around Memorial Day, they are not just bad—they are historically bad. The kind of bad that got them a “futility tracker” on the Denver Post website, too. Plus, every other team has at least 17 wins, barring them, so the picture is clear.

But surprisingly, not everyone thinks that the Rockies are the most disappointing squad!

You see, there is a difference between being expected to lose and failing to live up to those expectations. And this is where the Atlanta Braves come in. A $3 billion team, loaded with All-Stars, they were built to dominate MLB. Instead, they have slipped below .500 and fallen to third in their division. It’s a far cry from what was expected of them!

Hence, it’s no surprise that when ESPN’s David Schoenfield was asked who he felt the biggest disappointment was this season, he didn’t hesitate to pick the Braves. Schoenfield said, “There is only one correct answer here….I’ll throw out Atlanta.” And it’s not without reason, of course. He pointed out that even with players like Ronald Acuna Jr. and Spencer Strider returning from injuries, there are other glaring issues with the team.

Raisel Iglesias, their closer, for example, Schoenfield highlighted, can’t stop giving up homers, with four losses already. Plus, the bullpen has been shaky and coughed up two walk-off defeats in just ten days. Michael Harris II’s bat’s gone quiet, and Ozzie Albies’ on-base percentage is barely cracking. 300. So the elephant in the room is—now that it’s mid-season, is there still hope for Atlanta?

Even though MLB fans and several insiders might not think so, manager Brian Snitker still has faith in his team. “We have a lot of time for things to get really good,” he said. And well, he has 110 games left right now. The saving grace is that they are only five games back from the wild card spot. And given that Acuna and Strider are back, maybe just.. maybe things will start clicking. For now, Acuna is slowly showing that spark back.

Ronald Acuña Jr.’s return brings new hope for the Atlanta Braves

Atlanta Braves fans have been waiting for quite a while for Ronald Acuna Jr.’s return. And now, after nearly missing a full year recovering from left knee surgery, he was back in action for a three-game series against the San Diego Padres. And well, he did not disappoint and showed why he is such a force in the baseball world.

On Friday, Acuna smashed the very first pitch he saw with a 467-foot home run. This was no ordinary shot and came off this bat at 115.5 mph. It’s the hardest hit by any Braves player this year in MLB. The next day, he launched another homer, this time 411 feet, and helped the Braves clinch a 7-1 victory. In Sunday’s game, he showed off his all-around game, added a double and a walk, and finished 4-for-12.

Still, the fact is this is not a one-man army, and hence the Braves are below the .500 mark after losing two of three to the Padres. Now, they are about to face the Phillies, whose recent winning streak just ended. But don’t let that fool you; Philadelphia is getting geared up to face the revived Braves. They are relying on three pitchers to do the heavy lifting—Zack Wheeler, Cristopher Sánchez, and another important arm.

The Philadelphia Phillies are mostly using left-handed starters to slow down Acuna’s hot bat. It’s a classic pitcher vs. hitter duel. So, who do you think will come out strong? Let us know.

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