The Atlanta Braves have flourished since Alex Anthopoulos took over as GM in 2017. It took some time initially to figure things out, but he had them competing for division titles pretty quickly.
It took a combination of savvy trades and risky free agent signings to get there. However, the Braves eventually put it all together to win a World Series title in 2021. There have been bumps in the road, but it's been an overall success.
Some players have worked out better than others. We ranked which acquisitions made by Anthopoulos have had the most value. Our criteria for this were simple and determined by the bWAR produced by each player during their time in Atlanta.
Ranking Alex Anthopoulos' acquisitions with the Braves by WAR
Charlie Morton - 9.7 bWAR
Morton signed with the Braves for the 2021 season, and he was a big part of Atlanta's World Series win. His curveball remained one of the best pitches in baseball, and it allowed him to pitch a lot longer than most expected. During his five years in Atlanta, including his one inning in 2025, he racked up an impressive 9.7 WAR. This included 270 walks, 772 strikeouts, and a 3.87 ERA.
Chris Sale - 10.2 bWAR
Acquiring Chris Sale in a trade for Vaughn Grissom has turned out to be one of the best trades AA has made. Sale has appeared in two All-Star games and won his first Cy Young and Gold Glove Awards. During his resurgence with the Braves, the lefty has a 2.46 ERA with 71 walks, 309 strikeouts, and a 10.2 WAR. A late-season injury in 2025 prevented him from having another Cy Young-worthy season, but he will once again serve as the ace of the staff in 2026.
Marcell Ozuna - 11.2 bWAR
Ozuna started as a great one-year bet by AA and the Braves. He was incredible in 2020, batting .338 over 60 games with 18 homers and 56 RBI. This was good enough to earn him a four-year, $60 million contract extension. The first two years of that deal were marred by underperformance and off-field issues. Luckily, for Ozuna and the Braves, things got back on track, and he continued to be a force in the lineup and a great teammate. This led to six great seasons, with a .265 average, 148 HR, 410 RBI, an .806 OPS, and 11.2 WAR.
Michael Harris II - 14 bWAR
This may come as a surprise to most fans, but the Atlanta centerfielder has been incredibly valuable with a 14 WAR. Yes, his offense has fallen off over the last two years, and this is something hitting coach Tim Hyers is working to improve. However, Harris' defense makes him an incredibly important part of the roster. His WAR has dropped each season, but the fact that he still maintained a 2 or better WAR each season is impressive. Hopefully, 2026 is the year we see the youngster return to complete form.
Matt Olson - 20.7 bWAR
Olson has gotten some hate from a small sect of Braves Country, which is baffling when you consider how valuable he's been. The departure of Freddie Freeman likely contributed to these feelings. However, when you look at his body of work since being traded to Atlanta, it's impressive.
He carries a 20.7 WAR with a .261 average, 148 doubles, 146 HR, 435 RBI, and a 135 OPS+. He's also been selected for two All-Star games and won both a Silver Slugger and a Gold Glove. This investment has been worth every penny.