The Atlanta Braves haven’t met expectations this season.
Atlanta came into the 2024 Major League Baseball season with great expectations. The Braves were the best team in baseball during the 2023 regular season, but they were defeated in the playoffs. Atlanta was trying to rebound this season, but injuries absolutely derailed the effort.
Because of this, Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter named the Braves one of the top five losers this season.
“Working on a run of six straight (National League) East titles and fresh off back-to-back 100-win campaigns, it’s not hard to see why the Braves were one of the favorites to win it all,” according to Reuter. “They had an all-time great offense in 2023 and returned all of the core pieces from that group, led by (National League Most Valuable Player) Ronald Acuña Jr. and prolific hitter Matt Olson.” The addition of Chris Sale and Reynaldo López also made the starting rotation more complete.
Losing Acuña and ace Spencer Strider to season-ending injuries was a big blow, while Olson, Austin Riley, Ozzie Albies, and Michael Harris II have also failed to live up to expectations due to injuries and inconsistent play. It appears that their struggle for a postseason spot will be decided in the last days of the season, which is not what anyone expected for this team.”
Could this lost season lead to significant changes in Atlanta? That is unlikely at this point. The Braves will have much of the same roster in 2025, and if they stay healthy, they may be able to challenge.
