ATLANTA -- Ronald Acuña Jr. has been cleared to participate in all baseball activities and Spencer Strider rejoined Atlanta’s rotation on Wednesday. This concludes the encouraging news portion of this week’s newsletter.
There’s really no way to sugarcoat the Braves’ 5-13 start. The lineup needs more than just the return of Acuña, who could be back during the first half of May. Closer Raisel Iglesias’ rough start is just one of the bullpen’s concerns. As for the rotation, Chris Sale made it clear how much these first few weeks have “sucked.”
The Braves have had just four worse 18-game stretches to begin a season going back to 1901. They were 4-14 during the rebuilding 2016 season and in 1919. They were 3-15 during the 106-loss 1988 season and they were 3-14-1 before winning the 1914 World Series.
So, you’re saying there’s a chance? Here are some thoughts heading into Friday’s series opener against the Twins.
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1) Matt Olson is trending toward another strong season. Ridiculous thing to say about someone who is hitting .203 with a .682 OPS? Maybe. But I’m focused on his expected weighted on-base average, which tells the story of a player's season based on quality of and amount of contact, not outcomes. Olson ranks 16th among all MLB players with a .418 xwOBA. This is 0.104 greater than his weighted OBA. The only four players who have been less “lucky” have been Salvador Perez (-0.126), Dylan Crews (-0.118) and Andrew Vaughn (-0.110). Olson’s slugging percentage (.344) is a MLB-leading -0.249 points lower than his expected SLG (.593). He is the least of the worries regarding the hard-to-watch offense. |
2) I thought Alex Verdugo might join the team in Toronto, especially with the Braves facing right-handed starters on Tuesday and Wednesday. But the Braves waited until Thursday to promote Verdugo and option Bryan De La Cruz instead of Jarred Kelenic. I’m not sure Verdugo will be a significant upgrade, but it’s not like he would have to do much to be more productive than De La Cruz and Kelenic have been. It’s a long shot, but the only way the Braves might gain some value from the gamble taken on Kelenic would be to let him play every day at Triple-A. Might be a waste of time. But it’s an option the Braves could choose to take in a few weeks, when they need a roster spot for Acuña. |
3) Michael Harris II is off to another slow start. The numbers show that he has chased a few too many pitches outside the zone. But along with improving his discipline, the center fielder is going to have to find his swing. His average launch angle has dropped from 7.5 in 2024 to 2.8 thus far in 2025, meaning many of those line drives have been replaced by ground balls. Harris’ struggles have extended the Braves’ inability to compensate for Acuña’s absence in the leadoff spot. It’s a good idea to have Ozzie Albies bat leadoff against left-handed starters. But he has had just 22 plate appearances against southpaws and for the first time he has looked human against them. And you thought the 2024 season was cruel. |
4) If new hitting coach Tim Hyers was brought in to help the Braves bring an improved approach to the plate, then we should have known it might take time. That doesn’t mean we should have expected the offense to be the team’s weakest link through the season’s first three weeks. But implementing a change in mindset and approach takes more than three weeks. If you want to blame someone for the offense’s woes, it’s far better to point to Jurickson Profar’s decision to use a banned substance than to point the finger at the new employee.
“Hitting coaches get way too much credit and way too much blame, just like a lot of us in this game,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “I don’t think the approaches are bad, we’re just not getting good decisions.”
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5) The Braves are 3-10 against teams with a winning record. They split a pair of games against the 8-10 Marlins and lost two of three to the 8-11 Rays. Now, they will welcome the 7-12 Twins and 9-10 Cardinals to Atlanta for this next homestand. Winning four of these six games at Truist Park would be a nice morale boost. The same could be said about winning consecutive games for the first time this year. |
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MLB MORNING LINEUP PODCAST |
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Who allowed the most home runs in a season for the Braves?
A. Phil Niekro
B. Lew Burdette
C. Chuck James
D. John Smoltz
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The Braves will have their Jackie Robinson Day celebration before Friday night’s game against the Twins. The team will host 60-plus children and chaperones from the Jackie Robinson Boys and Girls Club in Cairo, Ga. As part of the gameday experience, attendees will enjoy pregame activities in Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Park and stand in line with Braves players during the national anthem. |
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A. Niekro allowed a franchise-record 40 homers in 1970 and then broke his own mark by surrendering 41 home runs in 1979. |
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