“We got a lot of time for things to get really good.” — Brian Snitker
Plenty of Time Left, But When Will It Click?
Plenty of time left. That’s a reality some fans don’t like hearing. I’m guilty of it myself until I take a step back and remember that it’s actually true. Baseball is funny like that. A team can stumble for months and still make a run to the postseason. That’s what Brian Snitker and the Braves are banking on.
While many people hate that unpopular truth and love to lean into outrage instead, it’s part of the game. To each his own.
Patience in sports is one of the hardest things to practice. Nobody in the media or any fan actually puts on a Braves uniform or takes the field, but the energy and passion poured into following them makes you feel like you’re part of it. Some people live and breathe Braves baseball, or whatever team they root for, and the last thing you want to hear after a frustrating weekend is, “It’s baseball.”
But it’s true. And if we look up in August or September and see the Braves right in the middle of the race, these rough patches will feel like distant memories. For some, it’ll be water under the bridge. For others, it’ll be a reminder of how far they’ve come.
Snitker was asked yesterday if he was disappointed the team hadn’t clicked yet by the Memorial Day checkpoint, or if he sees the upside in where they’re at. His response was measured, like you’d expect.
“We got a lot of time for things to get really good. You know what? We’re okay where we’re at. Everybody wants to be 500 and everything, but there’s so much baseball left…”
That’s not the answer some fans want to hear, but it’s the truth. Still, you can’t help but wonder: when will things actually click?
We’re just a few days from June. Yes, there’s a lot of time and games left, but you have to start building momentum somewhere. The Braves have made some strides, but the seesaw effect is what’s frustrating. That’s what makes it hard for people to get excited about a win or two. It’s a “just waiting for something to go wrong” feeling, and that’s even within a single game, as we’ve seen over and over.
Yesterday was a perfect example. The Braves should have beaten the Padres. Spencer Schwellenbach struck out a career-high 11 batters and went seven strong innings. But a couple of bad home runs, and the Braves’ lack of consistent offense, led to another loss. That feels like the story of the season so far—just waiting for things to start rolling.
Snitker knows it’s a process. After the game, he said, “We’re not going to win the division in May. We’re not going to win it in June. We’re not going to win in July. So yeah, I’m encouraged that we haven’t played our best baseball yet. We’re hanging right in there.”
Schwellenbach echoed that same mindset. When asked the same question, he responded, “I don’t even think that’s on our mind. We got 100 plus games left. And, you know, this is a team of fighters and a lot of really good players. We know that we should be in every game and, you know, win every game. So, I mean, we have all the confidence in the world that we’re going to play better baseball.”
It’s good to see everyone on the same page. Whether you fully believe what they’re saying or not, the Braves haven’t given up. They’re still confident in the season and where it’s headed.
It’s May 26, and there’s still a ton of time left. There’s really nothing much to do except keep showing up and keep working. As Snitker always says, “Just keep running him out there and he’ll come around.” And if, for some reason, things don’t come around, well, that’ll be a fun conversation for another day.
