Why the Atlanta Braves Will Not Set the Strikeout Record
The other notable name not on the list is Austin Riley. Riley is an everyday player with 200 PAs and has a 28.5% strikeout percentage. That’s a fair amount higher than his 25.4% from last season.
Braves standout prospect Michael Harris was called up yesterday. The 21-year-old brings a lot of tools to the table, including a career 18.96 K% in the minor leagues. Whether that translates to the bigs remains to be seen, but he’s a smart replacement for Travis Demeritte.
If Duvall doesn’t start producing homers then he will have to be removed from the lineup… .
Acuna is still not ready for everyday action in the outfield.
Eddie Rosario is continuing his recovery from his eye injury. Rosario struck out in just 13.2% of his 106 PAs with the Braves last season. His slow start is attributed to “blurred vision and swelling in the right eye.” Rosario had been dealing with these issues since spring training.
Reports indicate that Rosario is getting better every day. Getting Rosario’s bat with full eyesight back in the lineup would be a tremendous boost to the club. It would add much-needed outfield aid. It could help prevent the Braves from setting the record for the most strikeouts in a single season in the history of Major League Baseball.
We really don’t have a timetable for his return.
What do you think? Will the Braves set the all-time mark for strikeouts in a single season?
The current record was set by the Chicago Cubs just last year. They posted 1,596 strikeouts. Remember, the Braves are currently on pace for 1,602 strikeouts.
Some of the numbers will regress to the mean. The Braves have also shown a propensity to try and replace the players who are really struggling. Swapping out Demeritte for Harris is an example. The barrage of trades last season (which brought in Rosario) also come to mind. The front office will continue to patch the holes until they find the right formula. I don’t believe they will maintain this torrid pace for the entirety of the year.
One thing is for sure. As bad as it feels right now to watch the Braves strike out at a historic rate, imagine being a Cubs fan last season. They maintained that level of ineptitude over an entire year. That’s really impressive.