The Braves Have a Black Hole at Catcher and a Shortstop Hitting .096, But Nobody in the NL Is Ready For It

Okay, M's fans, you gotta hear this. While we're out here watching every pitch at T-Mobile Park, there's a team on the other side of the country doing something absolutely wild, and frankly, kinda baffling. The Atlanta Braves, after missing the playoffs last year, are currently stomping on MLB with a 45-21 record. Forty-five wins to twenty-one losses! They just swept the Pirates this weekend, winning 18 of their 21 series played, and honestly, the craziest part? They're doing all this while their roster is basically held together with duct tape and a prayer. It makes no sense, but it's happening.

Seriously, Their Roster Should Be Crumbled, But It's Not

You think we've had injury woes? The Braves started the season down four pitchers, three of whom were lost before the regular season even began, and three of those guys are *still* sidelined. The catcher spot is a full-on disaster, a black hole if you will. Sean Murphy has only played four of their 66 games due to injuries, and breakout star Drake Baldwin has been out since May 18 with an oblique injury. Oh, and their big offseason signing at shortstop, Ha-Seong Kim, who they gave $20 million for one year, started on the injured list. Since returning for 15 games, he's hitting a pathetic .096 with zero extra-base hits. You'd think this roster would be an absolute mess, completely out of contention, right? Wrong. Their division rivals, the Phillies, fired their manager Rob Thomson on April 28 and have been 26-11 since, a great bounce-back. But they've gained a grand total of ONE game on the Braves and are still 9.5 games back. What in the world is happening?

So How Are They Doing It? Pitching, Power, and Bench Production

How are they crushing it so hard? They're just flat out good, everywhere. Statistically, they're second in the majors in batting average at .258, second in home runs with 90, and second in runs scored with 341. They're also seventh in fewest strikeouts with 506. On the mound, their ERA is 3.21 (second in MLB), WHIP is 1.17 (second!), and they've got 573 strikeouts (eighth). And their bullpen? Good gravy. They have the best bullpen in baseball with a 2.96 ERA and are 37-0 when leading after eight innings. Robert Suarez, Dylan Lee, and Raisel Iglesias all have ERAs of 1.17 or better over 20-plus innings. Chris Sale is doing his usual dominant thing, even on the fringe of Cy Young talk, which would be his second in three years with Atlanta. But what's truly wild is Bryce Elder's reemergence with a 2.66 ERA over a team-high 84 2/3 innings, tossing 10 quality starts in 14 appearances. And offseason signing Martin Perez is having a career-best 3.02 ERA in his 15th major league season. The Fountain of Youth, apparently. Bench guys Mauricio Dubon and Jorge Mateo, forced into prominent roles by injuries and Kim's struggles, are absolutely raking. Dubon is a chess piece, starting at four different positions and hitting .260 with six homers, only four shy of his career high. Mateo, who never hit .250 in his first six seasons, is batting .301 and slugging a career-best .491! Add that to Ronald Acuna Jr. finding his power after a slow start, Matt Olson at first, and breakout sensation Michael Harris II in center, and you've got a squad ready to challenge the Dodgers. They're even expected to get healthier soon, which is a scary thought. It's clear the Braves are on a mission this season. What they're doing with so many key pieces out is genuinely incredible. Can they keep this up? You gotta watch to find out, because right now, this team is special.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.