State of the Braves
As we near the Fourth of July & All-Star Weekend, I like to take this little “approach period” to assess the season so far, how that sets up/translates to the remainder of the season, & identify what the objectives of the Trade Deadline should be for Atlanta.
As I write this, the Braves own the very best winning percentage in Major League Baseball (.663), aided by a stellar month of June as well as a 9-1 record over their last ten contests.
Atlanta finds themselves in that position ONLY because they’ve gotten production out of every part of the club.
The Braves pace baseball with: a .487 slugging percentage, 147 homeruns, 53 wins, & 27 losses.
They’re second or third in the following categories: batting average (.270), onbase percentage (.340), runs scored (441), RBI (425), & strikeouts (pitching, 765).
Individually, Ronald Acuña Jr. is the runaway MVP choice for the National League. He’s on such a high right now that a 40-40 season may legitimately be underselling it. This past week he became the first player to eclipse the 4 fWAR mark in 2023.
Matt Olson is hitting homeruns stride for stride with MLB-leader Shohei Ohtani; all the while going back & forth with Ozzie Albies for the National League RBI lead. Speaking of Ozzie, what a resurgence he’s had so far, exposing every national baseball pundit for leaving him off all of their top-10 second baseman lists. Doing so by hitting .261, 18 homeruns, 56 RBI, with 6 stolen bases & a 112 wRC+ (the MLB avergae is 100).
And then we have Orlando Arcia. The man making backup utility infielder money for the next few seasons, who is the current voting leader for the National League All-Stars’ starting Shortstop position. The 2nd-place SS? Francisco Lindor, who’s in the midst of a 10-year/$341,000,000 contract. Lindor’s 2023 salary is almost FIVE TIMES as lucrative as Arcia’s entire 3-year contract.
And that Shortstop who now plays in Chicago, that says Braves baseball is “just kind of a big deal” compared to how Chicago Cubs fans love their team…he didn’t even sniff the All-Star game. If only those Cubs die-hards would’ve voted for him. Sigh.
Broken record, engage: we’re not even at full strength. Fried, Wright, Matzek, Chavez, & Lee are all on the shelf. It is legitimately scary for the rest of the league to look at Atlanta, look at what they’re missing, & then think about what they’re adding as we progress through the season via injury recovery. As Chip Caray LOVED to say “getting guys back from injury is an acquisition in itself”. Thankfully he’s no longer in the booth to sprinkle in comments & stories of how today’s game is a shell of it’s former self.
Shoutout to Andy Bernard; we’re in the Glory Days of Braves baseball.