The Atlanta Braves still haven’t been at their roster’s peak this season.
They started the season down four pitchers — three of whom they lost during spring training — who would have been helping this team. Three remain sidelined and continue to work their way back.
The catcher spot has been a black hole of late — with Sean Murphy playing just four of the team’s 66 games this season due to injuries and breakout star Drake Baldwin sidelined since May 18 with an oblique injury.
Shortstop Ha-Seong Kim, signed to a one-year, $20 million deal in the offseason, started the season on the injured list and is hitting .096 with no extra-base hits in 15 games since returning.
None of that seems to have remotely affected the Braves whatsoever. After Atlanta missed the playoffs last season to snap a seven-year streak of appearances, pundits wondered if a rash of injuries were going to prematurely end the Braves’ contention window.
All they’ve done through the first 10-plus weeks of the season is continuously look like the best team in baseball.
With this weekend’s sweep of the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Braves improved to 45-21. They’ve won 18 of their 21 series, losing just two and splitting one four-game set.
Exactly how good have the Braves been this season? One of their division rivals, the Philadelphia Phillies, have bounced back from a very slow start to post a 26-11 record since firing manager Rob Thomson on April 28.
They’ve gained just one game in the standings over that span and remain 9.5 games back of the Braves.
Despite all these issues which one would expect to be holding the Braves back at least slightly, they’re among the best statistical teams in baseball across the board.
At the plate, they entered Sunday second in the majors in batting average (.258), home runs (90) and runs scored (341) as well as seventh in fewest strikeouts (506). On the mound, they were second in ERA (3.21) and WHIP (1.17) and eighth in strikeouts (573).
Former Padres closer Robert Suarez has stepped into the setup role, giving the Braves the best bullpen in baseball (2.96 ERA, 37-0 when leading after eight innings this season). They have three relievers with ERAs of 1.17 or better who have thrown 20-plus innings in Suarez, Dylan Lee and Raisel Iglesias.
Chris Sale has been his usually dominant self, on the fringe of the conversation for his second Cy Young Award in three seasons in Atlanta. But perhaps even more important have been the reemergence of Bryce Elder (2.66 ERA over team-high 84 2/3 innings, 10 quality starts in 14 appearances this season) and offseason signing Martin Perez (career-best 3.02 ERA in his 15th major league season) finding the Fountain of Youth in Atlanta.
Mauricio Dubon and Jorge Mateo were signed to be versatile bench pieces. But a mix of injuries and Kim’s struggles have forced them both into prominent roles.
Dubon has been a chess piece, starting games at four different positions while hitting .260 with six homers, four off his career high. Mateo, who didn’t hit .250 or better in any of his first six seasons in the majors, is hitting .301 and slugging a career-best .491.
Add all of that to former MVP Ronald Acuna Jr., whose power has returned after a slow start, slugger Matt Olson at first base and breakout sensation Michael Harris II in center and the Braves have all the pieces needed to contend with the Dodgers in the National League.
Especially as they’re expected to get healthier both on the mound and in the lineup over the coming weeks and months.
