The Braves are not a good baseball team right now, and they haven’t been for quite some time. After starting the season 19-7 and establishing themselves as division leaders, they’ve gone 28-31 since and fallen nine games back of the Philadelphia Phillies.
The Braves have played below average baseball for going on three months, led by an offense that has been among the worst in the league. Some expect positive regression to occur from the team’s stars. That might happen, but the way this lineup is currently constructed is not sustainable for long-term success. There are far too many holes and even more streaky hitters. Three months of abysmal offense isn’t a slump. It’s who the Braves are, and this stat encapsulates the lineup’s struggles perfectly.
After last night’s 4-2 loss to the San Francisco Giants, the Braves are now a remarkable 0-27 in their last 27 games which the opposing team has scored more than three runs. With their last win coming on April 17th against the Astros, as the Braves finished off a sweep in Houston with a 5-4 win.
0-27. https://t.co/YDyqBWeKyT
— Stephen (@b_outliers) July 5, 2024
That almost feels like a decade ago. For an organization that’s given its fans endless amounts of memories over the last six seasons, in which they’ve won six straight division titles and a World Series, this feels like a nice piece of humble pie.
This was a Braves offense that was arguably the best offense in Major League Baseball history a year ago. They set a team record for slugging percentage and tied the record for most home runs in a season. It was an unstoppable force that became every pitcher’s nightmare. The drastic change in less than a year’s time is almost unimaginable. Injuries have played their part, but the problem is much deeper than just guys missing time.
It’s a problem that will not be fixed on its own; Anthopoulos must work some magic at the trade deadline, or the Braves have little chance of holding up in October. If they can even get there.
—
Photo: Andrew Mordzynski/Icon Sportswire
You must log in to post a comment.