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The Atlanta Braves Pittsburgh Pirates Series Preview

By Trent Dickeson

ATLANTA, GA - APRIL 22: Kyle Wright #30 of the Atlanta Braves returns to the dugout during the fourth inning of an MLB game against the Miami Marlins at Truist Park on April 22, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - APRIL 22: Kyle Wright #30 of the Atlanta Braves returns to the dugout during the fourth inning of an MLB game against the Miami Marlins at Truist Park on April 22, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images) /
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Ronald Acuna Jr. #13 of the Atlanta Braves. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Ronald Acuna Jr. #13 of the Atlanta Braves. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

Pirates Offense

.244/.296/.357 47 HR, 189 R, 176 RBI,  27 SB, .291 wOBA, 86 wRC+

The Pirates offense has not been the best this season. They are not hitting for much power and struggling to get on base. Their team wRC+ ranks them 28th overall.

There are still guys to worry about on this roster.

Jack Suwinski has been their hottest hitter as of late. Since May 22nd, Suwinski is hitting .349/.404/.698 with 4 HR, 9 R, 9 RBI, 2 SB, .470 wOBA, and 205 wRC+. The Braves will need to tame this hot bat in the lineup.

Ke’Bryan Hayes has been solid with the bat this year, hitting .285/.374/.387 with 2 HR, 24 R, 20 RBI, 7 SB, .342 wOBA, and 120 wRC+. His 1.7 fWAR is mostly due to his strong defense, and his 11 DRS ranks at the top of the league. Once Hayes power comes around, the Pirates may have a superstar on their hands. Hopefully, the power breakout comes next week.

Bryan Reynolds had a breakout 2021 but has gotten off to a slow start. He is hitting .216/.303/.387 with 8 HR, 20 R, 14 RBI, 3 SB, .305 wOBA, and 96 wRC+. The Braves need to take advantage of his cold stretch.

Braves Offense

.244/.310/.427 76 HR, 259 R, 243 RBI, 27 SB, .323 wOBA, and 104 wRC+.

The Braves offense sits in the middle of the league, but that is mostly due to the lengthy cold spell the entire offense suffered through. In the past week, the offense has woken up and the numbers are climbing again.

A lot of that has to do with Ronald Acuña Jr. Acuña is hitting .318/.406/.523 with 5 HR, 21 R, 15 RBI, 10 SB, .400 wOBA, and 155 wRC+. During the win streak, he is hitting .423/.448/.808 with 3 HR, 8 R, 5 RBI, 1 SB, .522 wOBA, and 236 wRC+. He is one of the best players in the world and he is heating up. Once he gets going, he can carry an offense.

It helps when he has a running mate as good as Austin Riley. During the 7-game winning streak, Riley has hit .323/.382/.742 with 3 HR, 8 R, 9 RBI, .465 wOBA, and 199 wRC+. A tough ask for any starting pitcher in the first inning to go through Acuña and Riley.

Waiting behind Riley has been Matt Olson who has been playing well this season. He is hitting .258/.362/.465 with 7 HR, 23 R, 29 RBI, .362 wOBA, and 130 wRC+. Olson has not hit as many homers as we thought so far, but he is currently making up for that with 24 doubles on the year.

After an abysmal start, Dansby Swanson has arguably carried the Braves offense at times. Since April 27th, Swanson is hitting .319/.389/.493 with 6 HR, 27 R, 22 RBI, 8 SB, .386 wOBA, and 146 wRC+. This also coming with his reliable glove work in the field.

Next. Guess Who's Back!. dark

This is another winnable series for the Braves. They have taken advantage of a favorable schedule thus far in June and need to continue to do the more of the same. After a slow start, the Braves find themselves back in the thick of the playoff race. A strong weekend series will be pivotal for the organization.

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