The Atlanta Braves are mired in their first five-game losing streak since 2017 after falling 4-2 to the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday night.
But Braves GM Alex Anthopoulos still thinks that the team is in a good place when talking about their struggles over the past 40 games, per David O'Brien of The Athletic.
“Look, we haven’t played well. I’m stating the obvious there. The one thing is, you look at the (NL East) standings obviously, but the fact that the majority of the National League hasn’t played well has been good for us … So as much as you can look at the standings and you’re still looking at playoff spots and so on — we have to play better obviously, but the fact that you can keep your head above water when you’re not playing well … we are fortunate that the NL hasn’t played up to its capabilities across the board.”
While the National League maybe hasn't played up to its capabilities across the board, the Philadelphia Phillies certainly have. The Braves trail Philly by 10 games in the NL East – a likely insurmountable lead for an Atlanta team that has won six-straight divisional titles. The team can still absolutely reach the postseason, but claiming a seventh consecutive NL East flag is likely not in the cards.
Braves bats continue to flounder
It remains to be seen what, if any, deals Anthopoulos will make to help spark an offense that has rated among the National League's worst over a recent stretch.
Atlanta was recently mentioned in connection with Chicago White Sox outfield Luis Robert Jr. Robert has played in just 14 games this season due to suffering a right hip flexor strain that landed him on the injured list. When healthy, he is one of the better outfielders in baseball, and with the White Sox at the bottom of the league, they could get a good haul back for him in a trade to help their rebuild.
The Braves could use help in the outfield after Ronald Acuna Jr. went down for the season with a torn ACL. Jarred Kelenic had been platooning with Adam Duvall in left field, but now both players are playing every day at the corners without Acuna out.
The Braves' hitting has been alarmingly and inexplicably bad from a lineup that is virtually the same as it was in 2023, when they tied a major league record with 307 homers, had an .845 OPS that was 50 points better than baseball’s second highest, and set a record with a .501 slugging percentage. Whether that's a function of a team regressing to the mean after every infielder was named an All-Star last season or a lineup that is built to swing for the fences is struggling now that the ball isn't leaving the park with much frequency isn't clear.
Whatever the case, something has to change – and it's Anthopoulos' job to figure it out.
The Braves take on the Orioles again on Thursday as Reynaldo Lopez will take the mound for Atlanta in a matinee game.
Follow Us
Subscribe