ATLANTA — 11Alive Sports offers a quick traveler's guide for the Atlanta Braves and their Spring Training slate for 2019.
Can you believe it? The regular season launches in just five weeks.
WHEN DOES GRAPEFRUIT ACTION BEGIN?
The Braves will open exhibition play with a two-game road trip to Port St. Luice (Mets) and West Palm Beach (Astros).
The run of home exhibition games comes Monday (vs. Nationals), Tuesday (vs. Mets) and Thursday (vs. Tigers).
WHAT'S THE PRICE RANGE OF HOME GAMES?
This spring marks the Braves' final preseason campaign at Champion Stadium, as part of the mammoth-sized Walt Disney World sports complex.
The stadium has two decks: Lower-bowl pricing typically runs $48 per ticket ... with the upper-bowl seating at roughly $20 per ticket.
WHAT ARE THE EASIEST ROAD TRIPS FOR BRAVES FANS BASED IN ORLANDO?
The Tigers (Lakeland) represent the most convenient option, at less than an hour's drive south.
After that, fans might have to pick their spots for the training sites along Florida's western coast, which can be divided into three groupings for driving distance:
Half-day's drive: Yankees (Tampa), Phillies (Clearwater), Dunedin (Blue Jays)
Full-day's drive: Pirates (Bradenton), Sarasota (Orioles), Port Charlotte (Rays)
Overnight trip: Fort Myers (Twins and Red Sox)
The eastern part of Florida's coast requires a full day's drive. On the plus side, all three locales (covering five clubs) are essentially packed together:
Port St. Lucie (Mets)
Jupiter (Marlins/Cardinals share the complex)
West Palm Beach (Astros/Nationals share the complex)
WHEN WILL THE BRAVES MOVE TO THEIR NEW SPRING HEADQUARTERS?
The club will make the official transformation once Spring Training subsides.
From a ceremonial standpoint, though, the Braves will host a March 24 game at Cool Today Park (their new training facility), as a means of publicly passing the baton from Walt Disney World to North Port, which runs along the western coast of Florida – between Sarasota and Bradenton.
The following day, Atlanta will head north for a pair of exhibition outings at SunTrust Park.
WILL THE BRAVES STARS SEE REGULAR ACTION EARLY ON?
I would expect this to be true.
With the exception of pitcher Mike Soroka (shoulder discomfort), the Braves are essentially healthy for spring action.
It's typically a slow rise to prominence for all pitchers, though.
Even the starters will go two innings max for the first 15-18 days of Grapefruit League play.
After that, rotational assets like Mike Foltynewicz, Julio Teheran and Kevin Gausman will incur a steady uptick in workload, as a means of being fully ready for Opening Week.
WHAT ARE THE OPEN POSITIONS TO WATCH DURING EXHIBITION PLAY?
OUTFIELD: The Braves' four-man rotation appears to be in stone, with Ronald Acuna Jr. (left field), Ender Inciarte (center) and Nick Markakis (right) occupying the starting slots.
Adam Duvall, last year's trade-deadline pickup, will platoon to either corner outfield spot.occupying the starting slots
INFIELD: Freddie Freeman (first base), Ozzie Albies (second base) and Josh Donaldson (third base) are seemingly healthy locks for 145-plus games at their respective positions.
Shortstop will likely begin with Dansby Swanson.
However, given how Swanson owns deflating two-year averages of .235 batting and a .308 on-base percentage ... that position could become the property of Johan Camargo or Charlie Culberson in due time.
STARTING ROTATION: The aforementioned Foltynewicz (13-10, 2.85 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 202 Ks last year), Teheran (9-9, 3.94 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 162 Ks, Sean Newcomb (3.90 ERA, 31 starts as a rookie) and Gausman (2.87 ERA after being dealt to Atlanta) are extremely safe bets for Opening Week.
After that, it could be a free-for-all for the final rotation spot, involving Touki Toussaint, Soroka, Luiz Gohara ... or a major late acquisition, via trade.
BULLPEN: Consider this area to remain a work-in-progress throughout the spring, since many free-agent relievers are still seeking a home for the upcoming season.
IS THERE A CORRELATION BETWEEN EXHIBITION AND REGULAR-SEASON SUCCESS?
Here's a breakdown of how Atlanta fared from 2010-18 ... counting preseason results and the regular season, as well.
2018
PRESEASON: 13-18
REGULAR SEASON: 90-72 (NL East champs)
2017
PRESEASON: 9-22
REGULAR SEASON: 72-90 (3rd in NL East)
2016
PRESEASON: 5-20
REGULAR SEASON: 68-93 (5th in NL East)
2015
PRESEASON: 15-17
REGULAR SEASON: 67-95 (4th in NL East)
2014
PRESEASON: 12-18
REGULAR SEASON: 79-83 (3rd in NL East)
2013
PRESEASON: 20-15 (3rd in Grapefruit)
REGULAR SEASON: 96-66 (1st in NL East)
2012
PRESEASON: 10-18
REGULAR SEASON: 94-68 (2nd in NL East ... wild card)
2011
PRESEASON: 17-13 (4th in Grapefruit)
REGULAR SEASON: 89-73 (2nd in NL East)
2010
PRESEASON: 17-12 (3rd in Grapefruit)
REGULAR SEASON: 91-71 (2nd in NL East ... wild card)
TWO QUICK OBSERVATIONS
Citing the above info ...
a) Atlanta hasn't had a winning record in Grapefruit League action since 2013. In fact, since 2014, the Braves have a cumulative mark of 41 games below .500.
b) Of the four times the Braves notched 89 or more regular-season wins since 2010, the club enjoyed a 4th-or-higher finish during Spring Training.