The Atlanta Braves’ 2024 season is over. They lost 5-4 to the San Diego Padres in Game 2 and were eliminated from the Wild Card series. They secured a spot in the postseason on Monday and it was all over on Wednesday.

Even though they did everything they could to get to the finish line and make the playoffs, they still have an early offseason.

Things looked hopeful to start the game when Marcell Ozuna slotted in Michael Harris II with a sac fly to make it 1-0. But starting pitcher Max Fried struggled and the Braves soon found themselves down 5-1.

After finding a way to get back into the game, they ultimately failed.

The Braves were eliminated in the first round for the third straight year after their World Series title. They have now lost six elimination games in a row.

Nobody wants to hear it, but unlike previous Braves teams that failed to live up to expectations, this team arguably still found a way to exceed them.

Many talents quickly disappeared. Starting pitcher Spencer Strider was out for the season after two starts. Ronald Acuña Jr. was finished before the end of May. Austin Riley hasn’t played in over a month and the team was without Ozzie Albies, Michael Harris II and Reynaldo Lopez at times.

They didn’t even have their Triple Crown winner Chris Sale in the final two weeks of the regular season or postseason.

This team should never have been allowed to make it to the playoffs. But here we are writing about how their postseason series went. It wasn’t pretty. It wasn’t memorable. But it happened.

It’s disappointing to be eliminated, but there’s something to be said about the spirit of this team this season. Should they be happy? Of course not. Every player’s goal is to win the World Series, and that’s not going to happen this year.

That doesn’t mean we can’t give them a little credit.

Heading into the off-season with a lot of chaos that can arise during this time. Coincidentally, the 2025 premiere will take place right where it left off on March 27 in San Diego. It never takes long for an action to come full circle.