The Atlanta Braves just let the Philadelphia Phillies carve into their NL East lead, shrinking it to a measly 4.5 games on August 26. With a whole month left in the season and seven head-to-head battles still on the schedule, that lead feels incredibly fragile. And get this: the biggest problem for the Braves isn’t their pitching staff, which many fans pegged after the trade deadline. Nope, it’s their bats, with “too many holes” in the lineup, according to Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller, that could totally wreck their season.
What Happened To That Explosive Braves Offense?
Remember when this Braves offense was absolutely relentless? They kicked off the season with a scorching 45-21 record, hammering opponents for an average of 5.2 runs per game. That felt like ages ago now. Since that red-hot start dried up, the Braves are stumbling with a 31-34 record, and their scoring has plummeted to a mere 4.1 runs per game. This offensive regression isn’t just a blip, it’s a giant red flag waving in everyone’s face, a huge reason they’re struggling so much lately.
Even Their Superstars Can’t Escape The Slump
It’s not just the bottom of the order struggling, either. Key guys like Drake Baldwin, Ronald Acuna Jr., and Ozzie Albies have all seen their performance drop off a cliff. And let’s not even start on Dominic Smith, who’s also regressed hard. Oh, and “Atlanta shortstop” is still being called a “season-long disaster,” which, yikes. Over the last 30 days, Matt Olson is literally the only qualified hitter on the team with an OPS above .740. Think about that for a second. Michael Harris is close with a .738 OPS and Austin Riley has a .725 OPS, but after them, it gets brutal.
Sean Murphy is limping with a .394 OPS, Dominic Smith isn’t much better at .588, and Albies is rocking a .612. Baldwin’s got a .624 OPS. Even their superstar outfielder, Ronald Acuna Jr., is only hitting a .647 OPS over the last month. That’s a brutal stretch for a guy who should be carrying the team. While guys like Eli White (1.200 OPS, now with the Red Sox) and Mike Yastresemski (.847 OPS, but not qualified) are out there doing bits, the Braves’ current lineup is absolutely in a funk.
This offensive regression is a huge problem. Unless these bats wake up and start clicking again, and soon, this “red flag” could totally blow up their season, leading to them losing the NL East to the Phillies or getting bounced super early in October. They’ve got seven games left against Philly, so the stakes couldn’t be higher. Meanwhile, our own Mariners slugger Cal Raleigh is out here making some wild history, on track to hit the fewest home runs ever after a 60+ homer season in MLB history. Crazy stuff happening across the league!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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