To say I am thrilled to no end at this point of the Major League Baseball season would be an understatement.

My Atlanta Braves are playing some of the best baseball I can remember since the era of Tom Glavine, John Smoltz, Steve Avery, Chipper Jones, and the rest of the tribe that led the Braves to several postseason appearances and a World Series title.

Coming into the 2019 season, not too many gave the Braves a chance of repeating after winning the National League East last year.

However, the youth movement that the team started last season has transposed the team into a group that is having fun each time they go onto the field and no lead is too big for the Braves to overcome—and they know it this season.

Led by All-Stars Ronald Acuna Jr., Freddie Freeman and Mike Soroka with a vast support cast that includes Dansby Swanson, Josh Donaldson, Nick Markakis, and Ozzie Albies, the Braves are making a statement to the rest of the league that they are ready not only to retake the East but go all the way to the World Series.

Atlanta has done a remarkable job of developing their young farm hands and has been willing to absorb some beatings and dismal seasons until that youth movement has grown up and is ready to take the Braves to the promised land of baseball once again.

Keeping all the young guys as well as the old holdovers happy has been the job of manager Brian Snitker who has done a fantastic job of getting the right mixture on the field to jump ahead of the pack.

Not only has Snitker done it with his players but he has surrounded himself with coaches that have proven invaluable to the players and Snitker.

With Walt Weiss, Kevin Seitzer, Eric Young,  and Ron Washington sharing their years of experience, the team is beginning to seize hold onto the belief that they can win it all—not only this season but for years to come.

Time will tell and hopeful the break the teams will get for the All-Star festivities will not slow down the momentum the boys from Atlanta have built to the half-way mark of the season.

As always, health will play a key role in how things will finish out as a key injury here and there could throw a monkey wrench into things but hopeful the Braves can stay away from that.

In the meantime, it will be fun to continue to watch all the buckets of ice water being thrown onto teammates after a walk-off or the zany antics of the team in the dugout as win after win are rang up and their lead continues to build toward the postseason.

Chop, Chop Braves—let’s get it done!