With seven straight losses and the worst record in baseball by two full games, it isn't a shock to think that the Atlanta Braves are in for a long 2016 season. However, a 20-game sample (even with a 4-16 record) isn't necessarily predictive in and of itself, leaving us to trust the statistically inclined professionals to project what a 162-game season might look like for the team.
Well, this isn't great, either.
Four prominent projection systems have weighed in on what Braves Country should expect from the team the rest of the way, and the results aren't particularly pretty. TeamRankings paints the bleakest picture, projecting a 61-101 record over the body of the season, while FiveThirtyEight (62-100) and FanGraphs (63-99, with the element of generous rounding) land with similar marks. The "bright" side comes from the good people at Baseball Prospectus, who tend to bring everything toward the middle, and the Braves lock in with a projected record of 67-95 as of today.
It must be noted that these systems do not necessarily include the fact that the Braves will likely promote young talent to the major leagues prior to the conclusion of the 2016 campaign, and that could be a significant difference in how the team finishes. Still, all four systems have separately concluded that the Atlanta Braves have the gloomiest immediate future in Major League Baseball, and given the misery that has accompanied the month of April, that isn't cause for celebration.
In short, the prospects can't arrive soon enough and maybe, just maybe, they can buoy this group when they do.