Sports analysis
The Atlanta Braves have actually made the playoffs in 4 of their last 5 seasons considering that winning the World Series in 2021, however they were knocked out in the NLDS or earlier in 3 of those years, and are now one loss far from yet another NLDS exit at the hands of the Los Angeles Dodgers. While sure, Chris Sale didn’t rather satisfy the minute in his Game 3 start, the Braves scored one work on 5 hits because contest.
In reality, they’ve scored simply 7 runs in 3 video games in this series, and it’s not like their bats were on fire in the Wild Card series, either. As frustrating as this is to confess, dull offending efficiencies have actually ended up being a style in October for Atlanta, with Ronald Acuña Jr. as the poster young boy.Ronald Acuña Jr. is a super star who has actually been anything however that when it matters most
Atlanta Braves ideal fielder Ronald Acuna Jr.|IMAGN IMAGES by means of Reuters Connect
Acuña is an unique skill. He’s won an MVP award, is a five-time All-Star and a three-time Silver Slugger winner. He has a profession.895 OPS, a mark just 4 certified players exceeded this routine season alone. When healthy, Acuña has best-player-in-the-world sort of upside, however the postseason has actually been a various monster.Acuña went into Tuesday’s action slashing.244/.360/.409 with 3 crowning achievement and 9 RBI in 34 postseason video games and 150 plate looks. Those numbers just look even worse now after he went 0-for-3 with a walk in Tuesday’s Game 3. His postseason OPS is over 100 points lower than his routine season mark, and he has not strike a crowning achievement in the postseason considering that 2020. He has not strike a crowning achievement in the postseason with fans in the stands given that 2019.Acuña has actually had a number of huge minutes, headlined by a grand slam he struck in the 2018 NLDS versus the Dodgers. The Braves eventually lost that series, and he hasn’t done much of anything of note in current years. Even when Atlanta won a World Series in 2021, Acuña was out with an ACL tear.
Acuña’s playoff tradition is a crowning achievement, in a series we lost 3-1, 8 years ago– Braves After Dark (@BravesAfterDark)October 6, 2026
Again, he’s an extraordinary gamer, however that’s what makes his playoff no-shows that a lot more discouraging. Acuña has actually emerged in 6 various postseasons, however the Braves have not been to a Fall Classic in a single among those, and unforgettable minutes have actually been tough to area. What makes this hurt a lot more is that Acuña isn’t the only member of this Braves core that’s diminished under postseason pressure.Braves position gamer core continues to have postseason devils
Atlanta Braves initially baseman Matt Olson|IMAGN IMAGES through Reuters Connect
Acuña is the most significant of the star gamers with a rough postseason past, however take a look at this whole Braves core.
Gamer
Profession Regular Season OPS
Profession Postseason OPS (before NLDS G3)
2026 Postseason OPS
Ronald Acuña Jr.
.895
.769[
.451
Matt Olson[19659017]
.855
.535
Ozzie Albies
.762
.690
1.123
Michael Harris II
.771[
.704
1.025
Austin Riley
.800[
.648
.555
Drake Baldwin
.814
.405
.405
Credit to Ozzie Albies and Michael Harris II, who are having strong postseasons to date, however for one of the most part, the table above includes excellent regular-season gamers who carry out at a below-average level when the lights are brightest. I do not care how great Atlanta’s pitching can be; if their players can’t strike, how can they advance?
I indicate, Drake Baldwin and Acuña have actually been staples at the top of Atlanta’s lineup all postseason, yet they have OPS numbers around where pitchers ‘OPS numbers were when they strike. Matt Olson is perhaps the very best very first baseman in the NL, however he’s been ruthless in October, consisting of an important strikeout in the 8th inning on Tuesday.
At a particular point, enough needs to suffice. I’m not going to state that the Braves must think about trading Acuña or anything, however shaking things up in a significant method might be in order if this group is not able to advance past the NLDS as soon as again. We have a big sufficient sample size to recommend that just running it back with a small modification isn’t going to suffice when the whole core diminishes in October.
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