Atlanta Braves players of the month after a successful June
As the Atlanta Braves close out one of the winningest months in franchise history we look at those who shined the most.
The Atlanta Braves were unable to cap off what was a great month of June with a win on Thursday night, but that doesn’t take away from the good work they did the prior 29 days.
The Braves began the month with a record of 23-27 and were 10.5 games behind the New York Mets in the NL East standings. Now, the team sits at 44-33, 3.5 games behind the first-place Mets, and they have a 1.5 game lead for an NL Wild Card spot.
June also included a 14-game winning streak, which is tied for the second-longest in franchise history. The win streak included sweeps of the Colorado Rockies, Oakland Athletics, Pittsburgh Pirates, and the Washington Nationals. After the win streak was ended in Chicago, the Braves went 4-3 against two likely postseason teams in the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers.
Here are some other prominent stats about the Braves in June 2022:
- Atlanta’s 21 wins tied for the most wins in one month in franchise history. The last time this happened was in 2002, and that team finished the regular season with 101 wins.
- The Braves averaged around six runs per game while only giving up an average of three.
- Starting pitchers for the Braves pitched into the sixth inning 20 times, with six going to the seventh or more.
What has made this month even more impressive is the fact that key players like Ozzie Albies, Ronald Acuña Jr., and Tyler Matzek have missed games this month due to injury. Despite these losses, the Braves continued to string wins together, led by some unexpected heroes in the process, such as Orlando Arcia and Jesse Chavez.
Before we move on to July, let’s look back at the top performers for Atlanta in the month of June.
Dansby Swanson
Back in April, it looked as if Dansby Swanson was on track for one of the worst seasons of his career. He struck out 30 times out of his first 74 at-bats and had a batting average of .216. Since the month of May, however, Swanson has become one of the best hitters in baseball.
He hit .304 with an .847 OPS in May, and has continued his hot hitting into June. So far, he has hit .339 with seven home runs and 19 RBIs while primarily hitting second in the lineup.
His current slash line of .295/.357/.488 are career highs, and his 43 RBIs are tied for the most on the team. Swanson is also ranked in the top five in OPS, home runs, and fWAR among other shortstops in the league. As of now, he is behind Trea Turner of the LA Dodgers in NL All Star voting.
Most would say that Swanson has been the MVP of the Braves so far this season, and it’s hard not to see why. After years of up and down play, the former No. 1 overall pick is finally hitting with a level of consistency Braves fans have been looking for.
Travis d’Arnaud
Travis d’Arnaud missed most of last season after suffering an injury in May 2021. His injury left a big void at the catcher positions for months, with the Braves playing guys like Kevan Smith, Jonathan Lucroy, rookie William Contreras, and Jeff Mathis until d’Arnaud returned later in the year.
This year, he has shown flashes of his 2020 self; that year, he won the Silver Slugger award for catchers.
d’Arnaud is currently hitting .274/.315/.507 with 11 home runs and 32 RBIs. He has especially been great in June, with five home runs and a .997 OPS in his last 15 games. Both he and Contreras have been one of the best catching duos in all of baseball this season.
Travis has typically been known for his offense, but his defense this year has really been solid. His 2.1 fWAR and 7.3 defensive value rank him No. 4 among all MLB catchers. His bat and skills behind the plate have been crucial for Atlanta this year.
Matt Olson
Matt Olson was put in an un-enviable position at the start of the year. He was tasked with replacing Freddie Freeman as the everyday first baseman for the Braves, and a small minority of fans have been critical of his performance.
His stats, .256/.352/.488 with 12 home runs and 42 RBIs, might seem “low” compared to what we would see out of Freeman, but the Lilburn, GA native has more that held his own at first base this year. He has 43 extra base hits so far, and is on pace to have 88 XBHs by the end of the season. The only player in Braves history to have more than 88 in a single season is Hank Aaron.
Olson leads the team with 26 RBIs in June. He has also come up with some timely hits this month, including a go-ahead solo home run against the Phillies on Tuesday.
Make that TWO home runs for @mattolson21 tonight!https://t.co/tF2BPq04Q9 pic.twitter.com/zEM8KddLoI
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) June 29, 2022
Honorable mention to Michael Harris II. Since his call up from AA Mississippi near the end of May, Harris has provided Atlanta with some excellent center field defense and some great hitting. He has quickly accumulated a 1.4 fWAR in just 30 games. If he continues his pace, Harris will likely be near the top of the NL Rookie of the Year voting.
Kyle Wright
The breakout of Kyle Wright has been one of the best stories of 2022 so far. He dominated in April, finishing with a 1.13 ERA in his first four starts. He also helped start the 14 game winning streak on June 1st by pitching six shutout innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Wright followed that game up with arguably the best start of his career, pitching eight innings and allowing just two runs while striking out seven against the Oakland A’s.
His next three starts were rough, as he allowed a combined 12 earned runs, but he finished the month strong last night against the Phillies by tossing seven innings of one run ball.
On the year, Wright is 9-4 with a 3.03 ERA, 2.1 fWAR, and a 9.4 K/9 rate. He has built a nice resume for a potential All Star selection, and if he keeps up his pace, he could be a fixture in the Atlanta rotation for years to come.
Max Fried
Not much needs to be said about Max Fried at this point. He is the undisputed ace of this pitching staff and consistently pitches well in his starts, especially in big games.
In his five June starts, Fried pitched 33.1 innings and allowed just eight earned runs while striking out 35 hitters. On the year, he is 7-2 with a 2.77 ERA.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Fried was the “best left hander in the game.” Roberts received confirmation of that on June 26th, when Fried pitched 6.2 innings and allowed just two earned runs and struck out nine Dodger hitters in a 5-3 win for Atlanta. This game, along with the entire series, had a playoff atmosphere, something that Fried thrives in.
Collin McHugh
The Braves bullpen in 2022 has been one of the best in the league. They currently lead the National League with a 3.05 bullpen ERA (via Covers.com). Kenley Jansen has 20 saves in his first year as a Brave, AJ Minter’s 2021 postseason performance has carried over, and newcomer Jackson Stephens, who had a Matzek-like route back to the big leagues, has had a solid year.
Collin McHugh is the one I will highlight, as he had a dominant month of June. The veteran has pitched in seven games this month and has an ERA of 1.50. He also has 19 strikeouts in 12 innings.
Overall, McHugh has a 3.19 ERA in 25 appearances. According to Baseball Savant, he ranks high in several MLB percentile rankings, such as K%, chase rate, and whiff rate. McHugh was one of the more underrated signings by the Braves last offseason, and so far it has paid off.
#VoidTheContract. dark. Next
Another honorable mention to rookie Spencer Strider. After beginning the season in the bullpen, the flamethrower has settled in to a spot in the rotation. In his six starts, Strider has pitched to a 2.80 ERA and 42 strikeouts. He pitched his best game against the Dodgers on Sunday, going six innings without allowing a run. At just 23 years old, Strider looks to be a long time Brave for the foreseeable future.