The 2017 Atlanta Braves: A Transitional Season and the Dawn of a New Era

The 2017 Atlanta Braves season sits at a pivotal point in modern Braves history. If you live in Atlanta, visit often, or follow the team closely, 2017 is the bridge between the rebuilding years and the powerhouse contender you see at Truist Park today.

Below is a clear, Atlanta-focused breakdown of what happened in 2017, what it meant for the city, and how you can still experience and celebrate that season around town.

Why the 2017 Season Matters to Atlanta Fans

For Atlanta, 2017 was:

• The first full season at the new ballpark in Cobb County (then called SunTrust Park, now Truist Park)
• A rebuilding year on the field, focused on young talent and prospects
• A season where fans started to see the foundation of the Braves’ current core

While the team didn’t contend for a playoff spot, the year is important because:

• It marked a shift from Turner Field to a new baseball-centered district in the Battery Atlanta
• Fans in Atlanta began to see glimpses of future stars like Ozzie Albies and Dansby Swanson
• The front office stayed focused on long-term success rather than quick fixes

If you’re trying to understand how the modern Braves era in Atlanta took shape, 2017 is where the story really starts to turn.

The Move to SunTrust Park (Now Truist Park)

From Turner Field to Cobb County

2017 was the Braves’ first season at their new home, then known as SunTrust Park in Cumberland, just northwest of downtown Atlanta. For locals, this wasn’t just a new stadium—it changed:

• Traffic patterns and game-day routines
• Where fans gathered before and after games
• How people combined dining, entertainment, and baseball into one experience

Instead of being surrounded by parking lots and downtown streets, the new park was built alongside The Battery Atlanta, a mixed-use development designed with fans in mind.

The Battery Atlanta: The New Game-Day Hub

If you’re in Atlanta and curious about the 2017 Braves, you’re also really asking about the early days of The Battery. By 2017, fans were already using it to:

• Grab food and drinks before first pitch
• Bring kids to walk around the plaza and enjoy family-friendly activities
• Watch away games on big screens when the team was on the road
• Enjoy live music and events on non-game days

Even if you weren’t following every pitch in 2017, you may remember the buzz around the new ballpark district. That environment has now become a core part of the Atlanta sports scene.

2017 Season at a Glance

The Braves in 2017 were not yet the powerhouse they would soon become, but they were clearly moving in the right direction.

Overall Performance

The team finished below .500 and out of playoff contention, but the season had some key themes:

• Rebuilding focus: The front office prioritized developing young players instead of chasing short-term veteran fixes.
• Glimpses of the future: Fans began to see the players who would become stars in later years.
• Competitive stretches: There were runs of strong play that hinted at what was coming.

Here’s a simple snapshot:

Key Players Atlanta Fans Remember From 2017

If you go to Braves games today, many of the names you see on jerseys got their early major-league footing around this time.

Emerging Core

• Freddie Freeman – Already the face of the franchise by 2017, he was the veteran anchor of the lineup and the infield.
• Ozzie Albies – Debuted in 2017, bringing energy, speed, and defense to second base.
• Dansby Swanson – A hometown favorite from Marietta, still early in his big-league career but already a fan magnet.
• Ender Inciarte – A defensive standout in center field, known for highlight-reel catches.

Pitching Development

The pitching staff in 2017 was a work in progress, but you started to see:

• Young arms rotating through the rotation and bullpen
• The beginning of the organizational emphasis on developing homegrown pitching

For Atlanta fans, this was the period when you might have said, “They’re not there yet, but they’re building something.”

What It Was Like to Attend a 2017 Braves Game in Atlanta

If you’re new to the city or didn’t catch a game that year, it helps to know how the game-day experience felt compared to today.

Getting to the Ballpark

In 2017, fans across metro Atlanta were adjusting to:

• Driving to Cobb County instead of downtown
• New traffic patterns around I-285 and I-75
• Designated rideshare pick-up and drop-off areas

Locals quickly learned to:

• Arrive early to beat rush-hour congestion
• Use nearby park-and-walk or shuttle options where available
• Spend time in The Battery before and after games to let traffic thin out

Inside the Park

From the start, SunTrust Park was designed to feel:

• More intimate than some older stadiums
• Fan-friendly, with good sightlines and wide concourses
• Connected to The Battery’s food and entertainment scene

Fans in 2017 remember:

• New seating sections and premium areas
• A more modern scoreboard and sound system
• An overall “new ballpark” energy, even when the team was still rebuilding

How the 2017 Season Set Up the Braves’ Future Success

To understand today’s winning era in Atlanta baseball, 2017 is a key stepping stone.

Foundation of a Contender

The 2017 Braves:

• Solidified Brian Snitker as manager, who would later guide the team to championships and deep playoff runs
• Started integrating players who would become long-term lineup fixtures
• Provided playing time that helped young players adjust to major-league pitching and pressure

Atlanta fans who stuck with the team through 2017 often look back on it as the “last phase of the rebuild” before everything clicked.

Relationship With the Fan Base

The move to SunTrust Park also reshaped the fan experience in metro Atlanta:

• Suburban families found it easier to attend weeknight games
• Fans built new traditions centered on The Battery’s restaurants, green spaces, and live entertainment
• The ballpark became a regional destination, not just a stadium

By the time the team became a consistent contender, the infrastructure and fan routines put in place in 2017 were already established.

Experiencing the 2017 Braves Era Today in Atlanta

Even though the 2017 season is in the rearview mirror, there are still plenty of ways in Atlanta to connect with that period.

1. Visit Truist Park and The Battery Atlanta

Truist Park, still in the same location as it was in 2017, remains the heart of the experience:

• Walk the concourses and notice design elements that date back to the SunTrust Park opening.
• Look for displays and nods to recent team history, which often include players from the 2017 roster.
• Enjoy The Battery as it was intended in 2017: a place to eat, shop, and hang out even if you’re not going to a game.

2. Team Store and Memorabilia

At the Braves Clubhouse Store at Truist Park and around Atlanta, you can sometimes find:

• Throwback gear or special-edition items reflecting the early Truist/SunTrust era
• Jerseys and merchandise for players who debuted or were key contributors in 2017

This is a simple way for Atlanta fans to connect with that transitional chapter in team history.

3. Local Conversations and Sports Culture

If you live in or around Atlanta, you’ll often hear longtime fans talk about:

• “The first year at SunTrust”
• “When Albies came up”
• “Those early Snitker years”

Understanding the 2017 context helps make sense of those references and gives you a deeper connection to local sports conversations—whether you’re talking baseball at work, at school, or while catching a game at a neighborhood bar.

What Atlanta Residents and Visitors Can Take Away From 2017

For people in Atlanta today, the 2017 Braves season is useful to understand because it:

• Explains why the team moved from Turner Field and how that changed game days
• Shows how a rebuilding team can still be exciting as young players emerge
• Highlights how the Braves and the city invested in a new baseball district that now anchors a big part of metro Atlanta’s entertainment scene

If you’re attending a game at Truist Park now, walking through The Battery, or just trying to learn how the modern Braves era began, the 2017 Atlanta Braves season is the turning point where the new ballpark, new core of players, and new chapter for Atlanta baseball truly began.