Bottom of Braves Lineup Struggles
One of the aspects that made the Atlanta Braves so dangerous during the regular season was the fact that 1-9 in the batting order was wreaking havoc. This included Orlando Arcia who was an all-star and is expected to be the Braves starting shortstop in 2024.
Arcia fell off at the end of the season and created question of what he can be in 2024. He had a phenomenal first half of the season in 2023 and we will not take that away from him. Unfortunately, that is not the pace anyone expects him to have over a 162 game stretch.
Michael Harris II is also at the bottom of the order and can be really streaky. Harris is one of the best defensive center fielders in the league but his bat could use some improvement at times.
Whoever played left field for the Braves in 2023 was typically at the bottom of the order (7, 8 or 9) as well. The Braves should prepare to enter 2024 without Kevin Pillar and possibly Eddie Rosario, should they choose to decline his option.
Obviously, if these three spots do not get on base for the top of the order we could see a lot less runs from the Braves offense next season.
These are hypotheticals but are fairly realistic. The good news for Braves fans is that Atlanta has been doubted for the last six seasons and has continued to rise to the occasion. We hope 2024 to be no different but we always want to recognize that perfection is not sustainable or even realistic. Hopefully some of these tricky scenarios turn into a treat!