The Braves failed to capture the NL East for the first time since 2017 last year. And, it took until the final day plus one of the regular season to clinch a playoff spot. Last season didn’t end well for the Braves but it was remarkable for a team that suffered many injuries to get to October. Here’s our recap of the Braves’ 2024 season.
The Offense
| Stat | Number | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Runs Scored | 704 | 15th |
| Home Runs | 213 | 4th |
| OPS | .724 | 12th |
| Whiff% | 27.5% | 24th |
| Hard Hit% | 42.6% | 1st |
The Pitching
| Stat | Number | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Starters’ ERA | 3.58 | 3rd |
| Relievers’ ERA | 3.32 | 3rd |
| Strikeouts | 1,553 | 1st |
| Whiff% | 28.1% | 1st |
| Chase% | 30.7% | 2nd |
The Good
The Braves had a record-setting 2023 campaign from an offensive perspective. That wasn’t the case in 2024, as Atlanta’s pitching paced the team last season.
Atlanta’s marquee acquisition last winter was Chris Sale, as the Braves took a shot at hoping the lefty — who re-gained lost velocity in 2023 — would be valuable once more after four injury-riddled seasons. The bet worked out, as Sale won 18 games, struck out a NL-high 225 batters, and won the NL pitching triple crown en route to his first Cy Young Award.
Sale’s resurgance was even more important last season, as the Braves lost Spencer Strider to elbow surgery after two starts.
Braves starters finished first in the league in ERA and it wasn’t just because of Sale. Max Fried won 11 games in his final season with the Braves and posted a 3.25 ERA. Reynaldo Lopez recorded a 5.1 bWAR and a 1.99 ERA over 135 innings. Atlanta received a further boost when Spencer Schwellenbach, who barely pitched above A-ball before June, was promoted.
Schwellenbach turned into one of the best starters over the second half. The rookie had the eighth-most strikeouts (86) after the All-Star break.
Offensively, the glue for the Braves turned out to be Marcell Ozuna, who played in all 162 games and hit 39 home runs, leading the team. Ozuna did most of his damage in the first half, with 26 home runs — fourth-most in baseball — and 42 of his 70 extra-base hits.
It was yet another strong season from Ozuna, who rebounded from a downturn in his career last season to post a career-high 40 home runs at the age of 32 in 2023.
Ozuna was one of 11 Braves to reach double-digits in home runs.
The Bad
Matt Olson hit a Major League-high 54 home runs in 2023. Olson only hit 29 in 2024, although part of that could be considered regression back to norms for the Braves’ first baseman. However, Olson’s drop in offensive production was just one factor as to why the Braves dropped from first to 15th in runs scored.
Many of the Braves’ key bats sustained significant injuries last season. Austin Riley suffered a hand fracture in the summer and missed the stretch run. Ozzie Albies only played 99 games and thanks to a wrist fracture, only hit from the right side over the last weeks of the year.
Michael Harris II missed time but was healthy in September and…the Braves really needed Harris. The center fielder hit eight of his 16 home runs over the final month of 2024.
Arguably the biggest hit to the Braves was the loss of Ronald Acuna Jr. Acuna suffered a season-ending knee injury for the second time in four seasons in 2024. He only played 49 games and only cracked four home runs amid a slow start. However, his .351 OBP showed that not all was bad from his 2024 season.
The Braves got help from Jorge Soler, Gio Urshela, Ramon Laureano, and Whit Merrifield — all players not on Atlanta to start 2024 — to help make up some of the losses. However, it wasn’t enough to get past the Padres in the NL Wild Card Round.
The Braves only scored four runs in San Diego’s two-game sweep of the Braves. Michael Harris drove in half of those runs.
Early Projected Lineup for 2025
- C: Sean Murphy
- 1B: Matt Olson
- 2B: Ozzie Albies
- 3B: Austin Riley
- SS: Orlando Arcia
- OF: Jarred Kelenic (LF), Michael Harris II (CF), Bryan De La Cruz (RF)
- DH: Marcell Ozuna
- SP: Chris Sale, Spencer Schwellenbach, Reynaldo Lopez, AJ Smith-Shawver, Bryce Elder
- RP: Raisel Iglesias, Pierce Johnson, Dylan Lee, Aaron Bummer, Daysbel Hernandez, Grant Holmes, Domingo Gonzalez, Angel Perdomo
Key injuries loomed heavily over the Braves in 2024 and likely will again to start 2025.
The Braves know Ronald Acuna Jr. and Spencer Strider won’t be ready for Opening Day. Additionally, Joe Jimenez underwent knee surgery in November and may miss all of 2025.
The loss of Jimenez leaves a hole in the Braves’ bullpen, a troupe that also lost A.J. Minter to free agency. It could mean names like Domingo Gonzalez and Angel Perdomo, the latter of whom missed all of 2024 after Tommy John surgery, could be called upon for key situations next season.
As for the offense, the Braves are mostly set for next season. Atlanta added outfielder Bryan De La Cruz in December to beef up an outfield group that will need help with Acuna Jr. to miss the start of next season.