The Atlanta Braves led the league in wins, runs, OBP, SLG, OPS, RBI (only team over 900), and hits.
Atlanta was a hitting machine in 2023. They racked up 1,543 knocks on the season with the next closest registering at 1,470 by the Rangers. Only nine teams had over 1,400 on the year.
And... they scored just eight runs in four games of the NLDS against the Phillies. Two straight years the Phillies finished behind Atlanta in the NL East standings and they turn into a postseason monster like Bruce Banner turning into the Hulk.
There has already been plenty of work done to highlight how befuddlingly silent the bats went for one of the most historically great offensive teams ever, so we'll try and find some silver linings for Atlanta fans to take away from the NLDS.
1. Braves Bullpen Shines in NLDS
The bullpen posted a 2.45 ERA throughout the NLDS. Three of the four earned runs given up by Braves relievers were attributed to rookie AJ Smith-Shawver. The usual suspects continued their dominance. AJ Minter, Raisel Iglesias, Kirby Yates, Pierce Johnson, and Joe Jimenez all came to play, combining for zero earned runs in 9.1 innings. Even, rookie Daysbel Hernandez, who was a surprise postseason roster addition, pitched a shutout inning of work.