Atlanta GM admits Braves are substandard

BALTIMORE — Atlanta Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos held a media session before a game — which says a lot about how the team played.

“Usually I don’t do scrimmages during the season, because we played well,” he told reporters on Wednesday. “If I do them, it means we’re not playing well.”

Of course, this is all relative. The Braves have the fourth-best record in the National League. But they entered Wednesday night’s game in Baltimore on a four-game losing streak and 10 games behind NL East-leading Philadelphia. Anthopoulos was therefore available to discuss this disappointing reality.

He acknowledged that, by their standards, the Braves don’t look good, but there’s obviously plenty of season left. Currently, three National League teams – Philadelphia, Milwaukee and the Los Angeles Dodgers – hold a significant lead in their division. Atlanta (35-29) is the best of the rest. In fact, only five teams in the league have an average above .500.

Three seasons ago, the Braves were 88-73, but that was good enough to win the division. They went on to win the World Series.

“The Phillies are obviously playing exceptionally well — arguably the best team in the game right now — but it’s about making sure we get to the playoffs one way or another,” Anthopoulos said . “Right now, the NL, I bet you if you took a lot of these teams and these front offices, they’d tell you the same thing. Nobody’s playing the way they thought they would — except the Brewers, Dodgers and Phillies.

Still, Atlanta has won the NL East six straight seasons, so the idea of ​​settling for a wild card represents a mistake for this team. Two years ago, the Braves came from behind to win the division after the New York Mets blew a big lead.

A similar return this year will be difficult, as reigning NL MVP Ronald Acuna Jr. is out for the season with a knee injury. Anthopoulos said he has been more active than usual in terms of deals, but nothing is imminent.

“The offensive problems seem to be spread across the league,” Anthopoulos said. “A lot of general managers say the same thing. People feel like they’re not hitting like they can.”