Atlanta Braves

The Atlanta Braves encountered ups and downs over the first month of the season and have now seen their division lead disappear in the National League East.

The Braves didn't finish the month how they'd hoped, as they were swept by both the Miami Marlins and San Francisco Giants.

The current seven-game losing streak is the longest slide for the team since an eight-game skid in 2012.

In his first start for the 2014 Atlanta Braves on Friday night, young lefty Mike Minor was confronted with the reality of the 2014 Atlanta Braves.

With Minor doing his part by turning in a solid performance, he provided further evidence that this Braves team has the whole pitching thing down solid.

The whole hitting thing, on the other hand, is a work in progress. And at this point, one is starting to get the sense that's just how it's going to be.

The first month of the 2014 MLB season is just about to wrap up.

For the Atlanta Braves (17-7), it's the second season in a row they've jumped out to an early-season lead in the division thanks to a hot April. The Braves hold a 3.5-game lead over the New York Mets, which is the same as their lead over the Washington Nationals this time a year ago.

As the minor league season begins let’s take a look at the Braves prospect depth at each position. Atlanta uses its minor league system as much as any other major league team. The Braves didn't open the season with one or two rookies in the bullpen; they opened up with three rookies playing important roles in the bullpen—Gus Schlosser, Ian Thomas and Ryan Buchter. 

The first week of the 2014 MLB season is in the books, with the Atlanta Braves (4-2) taking two of three in both series against the Milwaukee Brewers and Washington Nationals.

We can often take too much away from the first week of the season and fail to let the entire 162-game schedule play out before jumping to conclusions.

Baseball is back, and that's a reason to be excited in itself. 

The Braves didn't get off to the start they were hoping for with a 2-0 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on Opening Day on Monday afternoon.

Despite that loss, there is plenty of reason to be excited about the 2014 season if you are a Braves fan.

The team returns a young and talented core that won the National League East last season.

When spring training began, Alex Wood was simply trying to put himself in position to make the Atlanta Braves rotation. With Opening Day on the horizon, the 23-year-old has survived a war of attrition to become a central figure on manager Fredi Gonzalez's staff.

In Atlanta, pitching has gone from a strength to a major concern.

The Atlanta Braves entered the 2014 spring training with their starting lineup set and the majority of their rotation in place.

Due to injuries, the starting rotation looks almost undoubtedly to be Julio Teheran, Alex Wood, David Hale and Freddy Garcia, with Ervin Santana set to join after the first week.

The key positional battles involve the final bench spot and a couple slots in the bullpen.

Atlanta Braves fans have seen a little bit of everything this spring training, including season-ending injuries and free-agent signings. The season-ending injuries are never a wanted sight at this time of year, and they have forced the Braves to fill some holes.

Meanwhile, the players in camp are preparing for a fast-approaching Opening Day. Like any team, the Braves have had some pleasant surprises with elevated play. Unfortunately, the flip side of that coin is that the team has also had some flops this spring training. 

The Atlanta Braves have come a long way since their humble beginnings as the Boston Red Stockings. They’ve seen cities, stadiums, owners, players and even team names come and go through a revolving door. The Braves have had high points, like winning the World Series, and low points, like devastating playoff losses and seasons with few highlights.