What we learned after Braves' season-opening series win vs. Phillies

While the Braves fell to the Phillies on Sunday, Atlanta still won the series and outscored Philadelphia by 13 runs over the course of three games. Here are three things we learned following the first series of the season. 

Atlanta's offense is still elite, and probably got better over the offseason

In the first two games of the series, the Braves scored 21 runs and garnered 32 total hits. If you were wondering whether or not Atlanta would have the same offensive firepower in 2024 that they did in 2023, the answer seems to be a resounding yes. In Saturday's 12-4 triumph, five Braves players had three hits, while Matt Olson had four extra base hits in the series' first two contests. 

Pitching is most solid, but shaky at times

Spencer Strider and Chris Sale both put together solid opening outings on Friday and Sunday respectively, but Braves ace Max Fried got pummeled on the mound in Saturday's contest, not even throwing a full inning before having to be relieved. In 0.2 innings of work, Fried gave up three runs on two hits and three walks, posting an ERA of 40.50 after one start. Nothing to panic about, but Fried's rough start is not what anyone imagined. As for the bullpen... the verdict is still out. They closed the deal in Friday and Saturday's matchups, but after a double play was overturned, Adam Bummer gave up four consecutive singles to give Philadelphia a 5-3 lead. The costly seventh inning eventually turned out to cost Atlanta the game, leading Braves fans to worry that the bullpen could be the biggest issue with the club for the second season in a row.