Atlanta Braves players of the month after a successful 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.

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.