5 Most Disappointing Atlanta Braves Since the All-Star Break

It feels like everything has gone right for the Atlanta Braves in 2023. But this is baseball and not everyone can be hot all the time.

Atlanta Braves v Philadelphia Phillies
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4. Kevin Pillar

Kevin Pillar
Philadelphia Phillies v Atlanta Braves | Matthew Grimes Jr./Atlanta Braves/GettyImages

The Atlanta Braves brought Kevin Pillar in this offseason to be a usable utility outfielder. He's always been known as a much better glove than a bat. However, the bat has been even worse than expected in the second half of 2023.

Pillar came to the Braves with a career slash of .257/.294/.408. That's a .701 OPS (87 OPS+) for his career. Pillar has hit just .184 since the All-Star break. his .192 OBP and .276 SLG combine to give Pillar a miserable .469 OPS. His sOPS+ in the second half is just 25. That means his OPS has been 75% worse than league average since the break.

On the bright side, Pillar has posted three defensive runs saved in just 382.0 innings in the outfield. He's also posted three outs above average in his limited time in the field, showing he still has solid range. The problem, of course, is his bat has been so bad it limits how often the Braves can deploy him.

Like we said, Pillar was not brought in to be an above-average offensive contributor, but his second half performance has been abysmal.

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