Braves set franchise, NL record for Home Runs hit in a month
All the Atlanta Braves have done this month is win a lot of baseball games, and hit the ball over the fence.
With two first-inning home runs in the win against the Marlins on Friday night, the Braves broke the franchise single-month record for home runs, and set a new a National League record. They've hit more than 50 in back-to-back months, a first in franchise history.
How did we reach this milestone? Let's look at some of the four-baggers that made up the incredible month of June for the Braves:
Home Run #1, #2
The first two home runs of the month were the only runs the Braves scored in the first game of the month. Eddie Rosario hit two 407-foot home runs in a 3-2 loss to the Diamondbacks in Arizona. It was the first regular season multi-homer game for Rosario since August of 2020 when he was in Cleveland. He ended the month with two multi-homer games.
Home Run #5
Rosario continued to star the month on a tear at the plate. In the series finale with Arizona, with two outs in the top of the ninth, Rosario launched a go-ahead grand slam that would give the Brave an 8-5 lead and the series win over the NL West-leading Diamondbacks.
Home Run #8
You'll notice a trend of clutch home runs throughout the month, but this was the first of June to not come from Eddie Rosario. Michael Harris II hit his third home run of the 2023 season that kicked off an incredible June at the plate. A 443-foot shot to center broke a 5-5 tie in the 8th inning and clinched the series for Atlanta against the rival Mets.
Home Run #11, #12, #13
A reminder of how insane the series with the Mets was earlier this month, all three of these home runs occured within 30 minutes of each other. Travis d'Arnaud, Orlando Arcia, and Ozzie Albies each homered in the 8th, 9th, and 10th inning respecitvely to lead Atlanta to a sweep over New York. Albies hit a three-run walk-off homer to end the game in a 13-10 win for the Braves.
Home Run #24
The longest home run of the month did not come off Ronald Acuña Jr.'s bat, surprisingly. Instead, a 474-foot home run against the Rockies came from Travis d'Arnaud. One of the 12 the Braves hit in the series.
Home Run #27
The second Grand Slam the Braves hits in the month of June, with Matt Olson hitting his sixth career Grand Slam, and his second since coming to Atlanta. A 424-foot homer in the first inning of a 10-2 win over Colorado.
Home Run #40, #41, #42
One of the craziest games of the year so far for the Braves ended with Atlanta falling one run short of a wild comeback at Great American Ball Park.
Entering the eighth down 11-7, Acuña, Austin Riley, and Olson hit three home runs in four batters to trim the lead to one. Atlanta would ultimately fall short against the Reds to have an eight-game winning streak snapped, but this was proof that this Braves team is never truly out of a game.
Home Run #56, #57
The first two home runs of Friday's win over the Marlins that tied, and then broke the franchise record. Olson padded an early Braves lead with a two-run homer, followed by Eddie Rosario hitting a two-run blast of his own to make it five runs in the opening frame.
Home Run #60, #61
The cherry on top for one of the best months in franchise history. The game was already out of in control in Atlanta's favor, but Sean Murphy added insurance in the sixth inning with a 459-foot two-run home run.
This season, Atlanta has hit 18 home runs 450 feet or further. No other team has more than six.
Acuña later dropped his 20th home run of the season into left field to push the Braves lead to 16-4.
Here's some more numbers about the month of home runs for the Braves:
Total Home Runs: 61
Total distanced traveled: 25,101 feet OR 4.75 miles
Games without a home run: 1 (June 9 vs. Washington)
Multi-HR games: 16
HR Leader: Olson (11), Acuña (9), Rosario (9)
Most HR in series: Colorado (12), Cincinnati (10)
More likely than not, Atlanta will not be matching these insane numbers in July, but this record-breaking month is proof the Braves are the team to beat right now in the National League.