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Atlanta Braves
Overall: 82
Title track: 46
Ownership: 107
Coaching: 113
Players: 83
Fan relations: 86
Affordability: 65
Stadium experience: 94
Bang for the buck: 29
Change from last year: -37
For nine straight years, the Braves finished in the top 30 in the Ultimate Standings. That streak ended last year, when they finished 45th, and it's just getting worse. The Braves' 37-place drop is the third biggest among MLB teams, and Atlanta's on-field performance doesn't point toward much improvement next year.
What's good
The Braves still rank high in terms of providing bang for the buck -- their average ticket is the third cheapest in MLB -- and their past championships have had a lingering effect on their title track ranking. The team is presently taking more of a long-term approach, though the front office did procure a couple of players through trades who should have significant value in the here and now: right fielder Nick Markakis and pitcher Shelby Miller. The Braves also rebuilt their farm system by trading off Justin Upton and Craig Kimbrel, though the young talent they got back will need time to grow.
What's bad
The Braves have perception issues relating to management and ownership -- they didn't rank in the top 100 in either area. Braves fans might be protesting the upcoming 2017 move to Sun Trust Park. That move also appears to have impacted the team's place in the stadium rankings, which dropped to 87th overall (more than 40 spots below the ranking before the move was announced). Manager Fredi Gonzalez's biggest faults might be that his squad performed too well in his first three regular seasons -- and that he's not Bobby Cox (the eighth-ranked coach in all of sports in his final year in 2010). The Braves averaged 93 wins a year in Gonzalez's first three seasons but had only a single playoff win to show for it. Now, with the 2013 NL East crown a fading memory, Gonzalez is losing the fans -- and possibly the clubhouse.
What's new
The Braves are one of the few franchises to drop down the rankings in every category -- and with good reason. A roster purge that rid the team of its entire outfield (the Upton brothers and Jason Heyward) plus Kimbrel significantly weakened Atlanta's chances of winning in the short term, and the upcoming move to the suburbs has alienated fans. (The Braves' drop in fan relations, 32 spots, is the largest of any team.) Things might not change on the field or in the rankings for some time, and given the team's ownership rating, patience from the fans might be in short supply these days.
Next: Chicago White Sox | Full rankings