It has been a tough year for the Atlanta Braves as injuries have run rampant amongst the entire roster since the season began. However, an underperforming offense hasn't helped things either.
The team has still hit a lot of homers as they have the sixth-most in baseball with 181 of them. A far cry from the 307 they hit in 2023 but still respectable. Unfortunately, the team batting average sits at .241 which is 17th across all MLB teams.
There is another statistic that the team is almost dead last in and it's part of why the team has struggled this year.
The Braves haven't taken advantage of stolen bases enough in 2024
Recent rule changes to base sizes led to increased stolen bases last season and the Braves took advantage with 132 of them in 2023. That was the sixth-most among NL teams and 73 of them belonged to Ronald Acuña Jr.
Ronald Acuña Jr. makes HISTORY 😱
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) September 1, 2023
He's the first MLB player EVER to reach 30 HRs and 60 stolen bases in a season! @Braves pic.twitter.com/ytAV1o4vJU
The Braves have 61 stolen bases on the 2024 season which is 29th in baseball and just one stolen base more than the San Francisco Giants. Obviously, Acuña Jr. being out for the season has affected that a bit but there are plenty of other speedy runners the team could have utilized to take advantage of the bigger bases.
Atlanta isn't putting pressure on opposing pitching and this could be part of the reason the team hasn't been as prolific as they were in 2023. It's one aspect the Braves seemed to abandon this season and it could have helped give them an edge they so desperately needed.
The team leader in stolen bases in 2024 is still Ronald Acuña Jr. with 16 of them. Ozzie Albies and Michael Harris II have the second-most with eight each. All three of them have missed significant time this year and it changed the game plan for Atlanta.
However, Brian Snitker and company should have found ways to get movement on the bases. It forces your opponent to focus on the basepaths and allows the offense a chance to take advantage of mistakes made because of that.
To be fair to Snit though, the team on-base percentage is .308 this season which is 19th in baseball. If you aren't getting on base, you can't steal. Atlanta's OBP in 2023 was .344 which was the best in the National League.
So, while the team hasn't been taking advantage of something that could have helped give them an edge, the opportunity to do so has also been limited. 2024 has just not been what the Braves expected after such a historic season.
It has been a roller coaster ride for Braves fans and a team that felt destined for the playoffs may now miss them as Atlanta finds themselves one game behind the New York Mets for the final Wild Card spot and third in the division.
If they should find themselves in the postseason, Brian Snitker may want to change things up and send more runners. Opposing teams wouldn't expect it and it could be a missing link to help this team succeed offensively.