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These guys will be formidable again in 2019.

    • 124 posts
    May 23, 2019 6:51 AM EEST

    "WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections Chicago Cubs recapsChicago Cubs minor leaguesChicago Cubs essaysChicago Cubs game threadsWrigley Field renovationsFull archiveLibrary Bleed Cubbie Blue Community GuidelinesCurrent time in ChicagoBCB Specials & Site InfoWinter 2019 music threadsCubs StoriesScheduleRosterStatsYahoo Cubs newsYahoo Cubs team pageYahoo Cubs reportYahoo Cubs depth chartYahoo Cubs transactionsYahoo Cubs photosOdds Shop About Masthead Community Guidelines StubHub 鉁昁now your enemyKnow your enemy: Atlanta BravesNew http://www.whitesoxfanproshop.com/authentic-paul-konerko-jersey ,4commentsThese guys will be formidable again in 2019.CSTShareTweetShareShareKnow your enemy: Atlanta BravesChampion Stadium in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, spring home of the BravesAaron Doster-USA TODAY SportsAfter a couple of down years, the Braves roared right back into the postseason picture with a N.L. East title, provided mainly by guys from their own system: Ronald Acuna Jr., Ozzie Albies, Mike Foltynewicz and Sean Newcomb.They added to that a fine season by Nick Markakis, who they retained at a far-below-market rate on a one-year deal for 2019. The Braves have also made some shrewd trades over the last few years, acquiring a couple of No. 1 draft picks from other teams. Starting shortstop Dansby Swanson came over in a deal that sent Shelby Miller to the Diamondbacks, and another deal with Arizona brought Touki Toussaint, who is expected to be in the Atlanta rotation. If you’re keeping score, that’s two straight No. 1 D-backs picks (Toussaint Yolmer Sanchez Jersey , 16th overall in 2014, Swanson, 1st overall in 2015) who are now key members of the Braves. Arizona has no one left from either of those deals.So give a lot of credit to the Braves in putting together a winning ballclub just a couple of years after they were among the worst teams in the National League. Acuna was the N.L. Rookie of the Year after hitting .293/.366/.522 with 26 home runs and 16 stolen bases in 111 games — at age 20, one of the best seasons ever (4.1 bWAR) for someone that age. Albies, who just turned 22, hit .261/.305/.452 with 24 home runs and 14 stolen bases and played an outstanding second base.In one eight-game stretch in August, Acuna hit .471/.514/1.235 (1.749 OPS, 16-for-34) with eight home runs, so many homers that Marlins pitcher Jose Urena threw at him, apparently intentionally, in the first inning of this game, inciting a bench-clearing incident [VIDEO].Your browser does not support HTML5 video.The “old man” of this team (apart from Markakis) is Freddie Freeman Adam Engel Jersey , a perennial All-Star who finished fourth in N.L. MVP voting last year and who’s all of 29. Freeman’s been around so long that one of his teammates in his September call-up year (2010) was Kyle Farnsworth. (No, I am not making that up.)The N.L. East is a tough division, but I see the Braves winning it again.The Cubs will get a look at the Braves early, as they will visit Atlanta for their second series of the year, April 1-3-4 (the first date is the Braves home opener). The Braves will visit Wrigley Field June 24-25-26. While Los Angeles Dodgers starYasiel Puig is coming off an incredible performance that earned him National League Player of the Week honors, he has once again suffered some misfortune away from the diamond.According to TMZ Sports, Puig's house in theSan Fernando Valley was burglarized for the fourth time on Tuesday night.The burglars allegedly broke in through the back door of the house.Security cameras show three men leaving the property, and although the system sent an alert, police were unable to arrive until after the suspects were gone.No word on what, if anything, was stolen.As TMZ noted, Puig's home had previously been targeted on three occasions. The Dodgers outfielder had$500 http://www.whitesoxfanproshop.com/authentic-paul-konerko-jersey ,000 in jewelrystolen from his house in March 2017 and$150 in costume jewelryswiped during Game 7 of the World Series last October, while there was also anattemptedrobberyin August.After the second burglary, Puig made it clear to TMZ Sports that he wasn't sweating things.(Warning: NSFW language.)"I ain't worried about that s--t," Puig told TMZ Sports in November 2017. "I have a f--king lot of money."Puig is hitting .273 with 21 home runs, 20 doubles and 58 RBI in 115 games this season. He was namedNL Player of the Weekon Monday for the third time in his career after hitting .429/.500/1.190 with five homers, nine RBI, seven runs, one double and one stolen base over a seven-game stretch.With 10 games to play, Los Angeles holds a 1.5-game lead over the Colorado Rockies in the NL West.