Cut4 Postseason Primer: Atlanta Braves

From 30 World Series hopefuls, only a few remain. In case you haven't been following every contender, here's a catch-up on what you missed and what to expect next. In this edition: The Atlanta Braves

Also: BOS | CIN | CLE | DET | LAD | OAK | PIT | STL | TB

The Atlanta Braves cruised to an NL East title, taking the division lead on April 7 and never relinquishing it again. Star shortstop Andrelton Simmons put together one of the greatest defensive seasons of all time, while the bullpen chewed through opposing offenses like Waffle House hash browns.

A few highlights from the year that was: 

5. The Braves made it their mission to run away with the NL East -- and they extended that domination well beyond the playing field. Here's Chris Johnson and Justin Upton showing the Phanatic that they really meant business in 2013.

4. The story of Evan Gattis is unbelievably fascinating and his emergence as a promising rookie for Atlanta was rather surprising. The risk in talking about him, then, is trivializing his contributions on the field. El Oso Blanco is more than just a good storyline: he's a good ballplayer.

3. Chipper Jones unofficially retired from Twitter on August 7 and it was a sad day for all. He did, however, leave behind a beautiful legacy of 140-character missives. Chipper's year on Twitter deserves to be memorialized in this space, but so too does the best culinary storyline of Atlanta's season. Luckily, those two things coincided pretty well:

A rednecks sweetest dream.....Waffle House is now at Turner field! My life is complete.

- Chipper Jones (@RealCJ10) July 25, 2013

2. It was a big year for Braves fans and fan signs. Please note that these pictures were taken at separate games, yet in the same section. Clearly, that's where the best fans sit.

1. First baseman Freddie Freeman had such a good season that he managed to beat rookie sensation Yasiel Puig for the final spot on the NL All-Star Team (after a bit of campaigning by his teammates, of course):

And while he was in Queens, he caught up with BFF and Mets superstar Matt Harvey:

That bromance does not, however, include Citi Field's backstop: 

So, what can we expect from the Braves in October? A few predictions:

The Upton brothers will do something adorable and fraternal.

Although he retired in 2011, Bobby Cox will somehow be ejected.

Dan Uggla will get an American Apparel advertising deal.

Elliot Johnson will intentionally spin out to allow Jason Heyward to advance to second base.