After crushing the Rockies 8-3 on Friday night, the Braves find themselves leading the majors in scoring, averaging 8.0 runs per game through seven contests. It should be noted that the Braves path to this point is similar to what a number of teams accused of tanking are trying to accomplish.

The Braves made the playoffs in 2012 and 2013, and then in the winter of 2013 announced they would build a new stadium. After finishing under .500 in the 2014 season, they team started selling off their players. Gone (or soon to be gone) were Jason Heyward, Alex Wood, Justin Upton, Andrelton Simmons and Evan Gattis. The team would save money for the build, then be near ready to compete when they moved into the new park.

Note that there was one player they did not lose, Freddie Freeman. Freeman was their most valuable chip, and trading him could have netted a haul of prospects. This rebuild was going to be quick, however, and the Braves expected Freeman to lead the new offense. That worked out well, as Freeman is off to a great start in 2018. On top of that, the Braves likely will add Ronald Acuna to the mix and control him for seven years. So while the Braves likely won’t continue to score eight runs a game, whatever intrinsic value you give to their offense now is likely to get better.

Of course, the way they rebuilt quickly broke the rules. They gathered enough players legally for the plan to work now, but their dream of an organization built for the long-term may be over.

Maybe the Marlins could have kept Giancarlo Stanton and rebuilt. The Braves appeared to get some better players in their deals, especially Ender Inciarte. Right now, the Braves plan is working, and baseball is fun to watch in Atlanta once again.