Atlanta Braves fans have very strong feelings about their players and that is exceedingly true when players struggle. One two week cold stretch can and will get calls from some corners to fire the slumping player into the sun followed by some completely illogical trade/signing to fix it. It is a tale as old as time and one that Sean Murphy has become quite familiar with in his short time with the Braves.
No one is saying that the last 1.5 seasons have gone well for Murphy. After looking like a potential MVP candidate during the first half of his Braves debut season, he faded badly in the second half. That was followed by an injury-marred 2024 season that saw Murphy slash just .193/.284/.352 in 264 plate appearances and many Atlanta fans are already ready to consider him a bust.
Well, Murphy is clearly well-aware of his struggles lately and is looking to prove something this spring. In comments to the media down at spring training, Murphy explained the source of his issues and why he thinks 2025 is going to go a lot better.
Sean Murphy endured the worst season of his career as his Braves predecessor, a previously defensively-challenged William Contreras, established himself as baseball’s top-ranked catcher. A healthy Murphy is ready to reclaim that top status https://t.co/M2iHA8PElV
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) February 18, 2025
Sean Murphy thinks this season with the Braves will finally see him be the guy they traded for
Part of the issue with Murphy is what Atlanta gave up to get him. The team traded a gaggle of talent to acquire him including William Contreras who has gone on to be one of the best catchers in baseball in Milwaukee. When you give up a lot for a player, expectations are going to be understandably high and Murphy has fallen short of that.
However, Murphy seems to have a good handle on the problems. He explained that the injuries and subsequent layoffs he has dealt with not only limited him at times, but also kept him from getting in a rhythm. Right now, he feels good and thinks that playing regularly now that Travis d'Arnaud is gone will do him a lot of good.
One certainly hopes that is the case. Too many fans have been ignoring that before this recent stretch, Murphy was considered one of the best catchers in baseball. However, that excuse only goes so far. If Murphy looks good to start the season, fans will quickly come back to his side. If he struggles again, even the Braves may be forced to acknowledge that he may not be the answer at catcher they were hoping for.