6 Braves players who are the most to blame for disappointing 2024 season

The Atlanta Braves can only sit back and watch as hated division rivals advance and yet again they were sent home in round one. Since their 2021 World Series title Atlanta has been one-and-done in each of the next three seasons. While a roster plagued with injuries does buy a bit of grace judging this year's results, expectations remained high for the franchise.

Injuries are always an explanation but cannot be used as an excuse. Poor seasons from several key Braves forced the franchise to fight in the regular season's final games costing them any chance of putting forward their best effort in San Diego. Looking across the roster, those who deserve blame the most easily stand out.

Orlando Arcia

When the Atlanta Braves let Dansby Swanson walk away and extended Orlando Arcia the move was viewed as another savvy win by the Atlanta GM. For the first half of 2023 that proved to be the case. Arcia looked the part of a starting shortstop before slowly fading down the stretch. This culminated in a career-defining postseason gaffe that ended with Arcia being stared down by Bryce Harper with his only answer being childish back-and-forth with Philly fans.

After the end of 2023 bringing back Arcia as your starting shortstop was a known risk. One the Braves fully put their arms around and would pay for in the season's most important moments.

Arcia finished the season with a .271 OBP and hit .176 as the Braves chased a wildcard spot in the team's final month. Arcia isn't a winning player and needs to be put back into a utility role. As long as the Braves continue to put Arcia into their starting lineup they are sacrificing at-bats for a player who has proven to be the polar opposite of clutch.

Sean Murphy

What happened to the Atlanta Braves starting catcher? Yes, there were clear injury issues but that doesn't explain the complete lack of production when the games mattered most. Murphy put up by far the worst OBP and slugging numbers of his career. Unlike Arcia, the Braves are somewhat stuck with Murphy based on his contract extension.

There is hope in this situation, however, as every stat pointing in the wrong direction is a career outlier for Murphy. The Braves are expected to bring back Travis d'Arnaud helping take some of the pressure off as well. While there is reason to believe Murphy will turn the page moving forward the catcher still has to wear this season's failure.

With the loss of so many key pieces throughout the season, the team was looking to Murphy to step in and deliver a level of reliability. Instead, the catcher was a liability at the plate and offered a desperate team nothing in the biggest moments.

Adam Duvall and Eddie Rosario

Two very different players but both are in the same category here. Injuries forced the Braves to search for answers and hope two players a part of the 2021 magic could find success in Atlanta once again. The timing for both players was very different but it was quickly clear neither was going to give Atlanta anything close to the expected production.

Based on their contributions to the 2021 World Series run, both will forever remain Braves legends. For this season, however, they failed a franchise desperate for outfield answers hoping a bit of nostalgia could recapture the magic of what was.

Jarred Kelenic

After an exciting start with Atlanta, the hope for Kelenic quickly wore off as Atlanta's situation grew increasingly dire.

In July the outfielder hit .137 striking out 31 times in a sign of what was to come. While the numbers improved in August and September it was only marginally and the Braves looked elsewhere when the games mattered.

Kelenic was supposed to be Atlanta's answer in left field a player who thrived at the bottom of the lineup focused simply on quality at-bats and playing great defense in left. However, injuries changed expectations and the moment was far too big for the Braves outfielder.

Bryce Elder

Perhaps this is more so on the Atlanta Braves front office for relying on Elder as key depth when the pitcher so badly faded down the stretch of 2023. However, Elder was the only Braves starter to be relied on throughout the 2024 season who completely failed. Atlanta's front office should have done a better job adding depth to the position with Charlie Morton aging and Lopez still transitioning to starting again.

Elder started ten games this season and answered any notion he could find his way back into the rotation. There is a reason with the season on the line the team was most confident in a rookie with a penchant for giving up homers. Atlanta's rotation carried this team for so long, but their lack of depth came back to haunt them in several key moments including the complete lack of faith in Elder during the season's final series.

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