For the Atlanta Braves, the 2021 season hasn’t been kind. After a season where the bullpen was stellar day-in and day-out, they’ve become possibly the biggest hole on the roster. This is shown with their record going into the second half, sitting at 44-45 and second to the Mets in the NL East.
The grass was still green for Atlanta with the Mets facing multiple injuries and, like the Braves, not playing up to their potential during the first half. The Braves then faced the news of outfielder Marcell Ozuna being arrested in a domestic abuse case and his status continues to trend downward, especially as a member of the Braves. Atlanta starting pitcher Mike Soroka was coming off of a torn Achilles in 2020 and after trending towards a return in 2021, had a freak accident walking to the clubhouse in Atlanta and had a re-tear of the same Achilles and now won’t return until 2022 at the earliest.
Embed from Getty ImagesWith all the bad, the Braves still had the stellar play of their three All-Stars in outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr., first baseman Freddie Freeman, and second baseman Ozzie Albies. Third baseman Austin Riley is also having a huge year, batting a career-high .276 to go along with 14 home runs and 42 RBI’s.
Going into the final series vs. the Marlins before the All-Star break, the Braves were teetering around four games back of New York. Disaster struck in the second game of the series, with Acuña Jr. attempting to make a leaping grab in right field and landed awkwardly on his right knee. The NL MVP candidate collapsed and had to be carted off of the field with tears in his eyes, likely knowing the injury he had just suffered. Acuña Jr. finishes his season batting .283 with 24 home runs and 52 RBI’s.
In a season with so many issues for the Braves, there’s still optimism around the club. Only four games behind the Mets, the Braves could make a late-season surge if the bullpen can step up. Starting pitcher Charlie Morton has stepped up after early-season struggles and is now 8-3 on the year, posting some of the best numbers of his 14-year career. Fellow starter Max Fried has been battling injuries and hasn’t played up to par but his improvement could be the catalyst for a huge run late in the season.
While Acuña Jr. was always the spark plug for Atlanta, other guys have to step up into the role. Shortstop Dansby Swanson stands out as the guy the Braves need to play better, having a lackluster month in June where he batted just .216 but he showed promise in July before the break, batting .333 with a monster OPS of 1.705.
Most expect Atlanta to fizzle out in the coming months with all of the injuries, but there’s still a window for the Braves to make a run. Through all the battles, the Braves have been able to plug and play multiple players and are still right in the thick of the NL East race and will look to put together a winning streak in the late summer if they plan to be playing in late October.
