Back into the swing of things

I suppose it's safe to come out now.  After a sudden rash of injuries and less-than stellar offensive showings, the team seems to be, again, rising from the mat before the ref hits five.  Not unlike the bizarrely wet summer Georgites have dealt with, the Braves have been inundated with trips to the DL, doctor's visits, and nagging issues.  Their ability to fight through it all and win the division, the quality of the competition notwithstanding, is impressive; maintaining the best record in the game even more so. 

Tonight, for the last time in the regular season, the Braves will match up against a team that could be considered in the "playoff hunt", although Cleveland is a borderline contender at best.  Tonight's game will mark only the 44th game against a "playoff caliber" team that Atlanta has been involved in all season.  In the 43 games prior, their record is 25-18.  That record comes against PIT, KC, DET, CIN, AZ, LAD, StL, and CLE.  That's almost a .600 winning percentage, rougly consistent with the type of ball the Braves have played all season.  If the total number of games against good teams seems rather low, remember that Washington was supposed to be much better, and if we include them in this picture, the Braves' record jumps to 37-22, a win percentage of .627.

Although the injuries have piled up in a way not often seen, the Braves have had some good fortune this year.  Washington tanking is far and away the biggest contributor to that surplus.  Though the health issues have been abundant, very few of them have been serious.  The unfortunate ones that are serious have been dealt with accordingly without the win/loss record suffering.  That's all well and good for the regular season, but the playoffs are another matter. 

The most important angle with regard to this team right now is the health of Jason Heyward.  He's the key to this team doing more than just winning the division.  Schafer appears to be a viable platoon option in CF with BJ, but there is a rather expansive gap in his game versus Jason's game.  That's no slight to Jordan, a guy that has really stepped up this season, just a fact.  This is still a good team without Heyward, but he's the catalyst that takes it from good to great.