Entering last night's game the Braves were 8-14 after the All-Star break. The inconsistent play took them from a team battling to find consistency, to a team battling for a playoff spot. They've suffered two separate six-game losing streaks and the term "rock bottom" has become a theme.
When a baseball team plays this poorly, the blame can be divided amongst a large number of culprits. Some Braves (like Orlando Arcia for example) have posted very respectable numbers in the second half. However, far too many Braves have been slumping, thus resulting in the free fall in the National League standings.
Now baseball isn't a game where an individual can significantly alter a team's win-loss record. Just ask 2010's Mike Trout. However, in this article we will detail which Braves have been most at fault for Atlanta's second half struggles.
Matt Olson
The Braves are a lineup filled with proven All-Stars. When Ronald Acuna Jr. went down with a season-ending injury one of the Braves biggest stars was lost. Atlanta needed the other stars to step up around this setback.
Unfortunately, Matt Olson has had a tough time doing so in 2024. Olson was actually pretty strong (although not his 2023 MVP candidate level) for much of the early portion of this season. Then he went into one of the longest slumps of his Braves career.
For a player the Braves really need to get going, Matt Olson has begun the second half 0/10 with 2 strikeouts and 2 double plays
— Scott Coleman (@scottcoleman55) July 21, 2024
The power slump was the biggest thing for Olson, and the second half numbers showcase that. Since the All-Star break Olson has a .312 OBP and ten XBH's. And that's with his recent outburst at Coors field. Atlanta simply needs more from their middle of the order first baseman.
Adam Duvall
For this article we really could've selected the entire outfield. It's been year long struggle, especially since the reigning NL MVP went down. However, for this post we decided to include the two worthy candidates that have a big enough sample size to warrant blame placed on them.
The first is veteran Adam Duvall. The 35 year-old outfielder was thrust into an everyday role in late May and has yet to find his footing in 2024. Early on, Duvall was a severe liability against right-handed pitching. In the second half, it hasn't really mattered who he is facing.
Duvall has 21 strikeouts and just three XBH's since the All-Star break. Partner that with a .447 OPS and you can see why Duvall has been removed from the everyday role he was once in. It's not that we expected Duvall to carry the offense, but the production he's given simply hasn't been close to what they need.
Jarred Kelenic
The first season in Atlanta for young Jarred Kelenic has certainly been a rollercoaster. He got off to a blazing start in the first couple weeks, before cooling off for most of May. Then when Kelenic was moved into the leadoff role, he took off once again.
However, the second half has been more of an adventure for Kelenic. His .162/.235/.351 slash line in 82 plate appearances has hurt the Braves big time second half. This is why you can expect Kelenic to slot back into a platoon role once Michael Harris II is activated from the injured list this week.
Charlie Morton
On the season, you'd be hard pressed to blame any of the Braves pitchers that fans actually had expectations for. That has held true post All-Star break for names like Chris Sale and Spencer Schwellenbach.
However, the other healthy starting pitcher has had a tougher time in the second half. Veteran Charlie Morton hasn't been generating the swing and miss he did in the first half. Although it's been just four starts for the 40 year-old Morton post All-Star break, the results have not been favorable.
Charlie Morton has only forced 19 whiffs on pitches that aren't his curveball since July 1st
— James Schiano (@James_Schiano) August 8, 2024
Eight of those came in one start vs the Marlins
His fastball is dead and batters are hunting it pic.twitter.com/FFqbcXK1ph
Charlie has a 6.75 ERA and 1.79 WHIP in just over 17 innings of work in the second half. Maybe father time has finally caught up to ol' Chuck Morton. We hope that's not the case and Charlie figures it out down the stretch. However, if it truly is the finale for Morton, it was one heck of a ride.
The bullpen as a whole
Finally we arrive at not a player, but a group of Braves. Yes, the bullpen has been a strength pretty much all season for Atlanta. However, blowup performances like the series finale against Colorado have handed the Braves some losses in games they thought were in hand.
The reliable arms like Johnson, Iglesias, Lee, (and Jimenez to an extent), have been good. However, the rest of the group isn't sharing the same success. In the second half the Braves have the eighth worst ERA (4.98) in baseball.
However, the group has been quite a bit unlucky in the smaller second half sample size. Atlanta actually owns the sixth lowest average exit velocity (88 mph) allowed from their relievers in the second half. They also own the sixth best xFIP (3.56) over that same time.
What's done this group in is the insane BABIP (batting average on balls in play) numbers. Post All-Star break has seen Atlanta relievers carry a league-high .376 BABIP, which is over .030 points higher than the next team on the list. Hopefully, this is something that sorts itself out over the coming weeks. Then again given the Braves second half collapse, we understand if fans aren't the most optimistic that will happen.