Braves Statcast standouts- Fielding
Admittedly, the Braves' weakest link this season was their defense. But just because it was the weakest link doesn't mean there aren't things to highlight.
14 Run Value catcher
When the Braves decided to send William Contreras to the Brewers, they knew they were upgrading defensively.
And while he was snubbed from being a Gold Glove finalist, Sean Murphy was everything the Braves hoped for defensively.
His 14 Run Value was the seventh-best in baseball and was the third-best among catchers.
In addition to an incredible arm, Murphy was also a great pitch framer. His 7 Framing Runs tied him for fifth with (ironically) William Contreras.
Murphy was also the best blocking catcher in baseball. At 16 Blocks Above Average, the Braves' backstop was far and away the king of keeping the ball in front of him.
Money Mike and 4-Star catches
Another snub for Gold Glove Finalist, Michael Harris II was excellent on defense again in 2023. The CF had six 4-Star catches and one 5-Star catch this past season, including this catch that had just a 25% Catch Probability.
On the season, Money Mike had the 18th-best OAA in MLB at 7 OAA.
EDDIE, EDDIE, EDDIE
Believe it or not, Eddie Rosario was above average defensively this season. His 3 OAA put him in the 80th percentile, and he had the best catch of the year by a Brave by Catch Probability.
With just a 15% Catch Probability, Super Rosario was able to run this down before it got to the gap.
Rosario also had four 4-Star catches and 12 3-Star catches. He was well deserving of finishing in the top three in Gold Glove voting.
As you can see, the Braves were the best offensive team in baseball for a reason. I'm sure that was easy to see but even the analytics back it up. Is there any way they could be even better in 2023?