Which three Braves most need to step up down the stretch?

In the blink of an eye, the Braves’ once comfy lead for the final spot in the National League Wild Card race is down to just 0.5 games over the division-rival New York Mets. It’s not a spot the Braves are used to this late in the season, but everything still remains right in front of them for the taking, and as we see almost every year, baseball has a funny way of picking a World Series winner.

Once you get in the dance, anything can happen, but the Braves have to get there first, and with the way the Mets, Padres, and Diamondbacks are playing of late, it’s going to take their best baseball of the season to clinch a spot in the playoffs. For that to happen, a few offensive pieces must take their games to the next level.

Michael Harris II

At the beginning of the season, there were some whispers of Michael Harris II being a dark horse for the MVP race. There is nothing his game lacks. He can hit for average and power, plays elite defense in centerfield, and can steal bases. Everything suggests he can be a budding star if he puts it all together.

Unfortunately, like most Braves, injuries have plagued him for much of the year. But he’s back now, and it’s time for him to go on a run offensively. With the glove in centerfield, he’s been nothing short of spectacular. It can take the bat much longer to heat up, but that’s one thing the Braves don’t have right now — time.

The Braves need the All-Star version of Michael Harris II to show up the rest of the way. The guy who hit .332 with a .902 OPS over the final 96 games of 2023.

Jorge Soler

Jorge Soler has always been a streaky hitter, but when he’s going, there might not be a scarier player stepping into the batter’s box. The Braves acquired him at the trade deadline in hopes of rekindling the same magic he brought to the club in 2021.

So far, he’s been okay in Atlanta, hitting just .181, but he does have five homers and 13 RBIs in just 24 starts to go along with a .706 OPS. However, to make the postseason, the Braves will need him to look like the player that was named World Series MVP back in 2021.

Sean Murphy

Another player whose 2024 campaign has been marred by injuries, the Sean Murphy trade continues to look worse by the day. He’s played in just 59 games this season and is hitting .215 with eight homers.

The Braves never should have expected Murphy to be William Contreras offensively. The defense behind the plate is Murphy’s calling card. Still, he’s setting career lows across the board with the stick, just one year removed from recording an .844 OPS. The Braves desperately need an offensive spark from their starting catcher with so many of their high-profile bats out of the lineup.

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Photographer: Gregory Fisher/Icon Sportswire