New Leadoff Hitter Could Help Braves Close Gap

By Dan Schlossberg

When they rolled to 104 wins, 370 home runs, and a record .501 slugging percentage last summer, the Atlanta Braves got plenty of production from the leadoff spot.

The Braves have been unable to replace injured MVP Ronald Acuna, Jr., who had 41 homers and 73 stolen bases out of their leadoff spot in '23Photo byDan Schlossberg

That was the home of Ronald Acuña, Jr., who not only had 41 home runs and a club-record 74 stolen bases but also a career-best .337 batting average, second in the National League.

This year, however, things have gone awry almost from the get-go.

Acuña started the season in a slump, then tore his left ACL May 26 and landed on the injured list for the duration.

No one has come close to replacing him, though several have tried.

Manager Brian Snitker has used Michael Harris II, Ozzie Albies, Jarred Kelenic, and even Adam Duvall in the leadoff spot without much success.

Since Acuña’s injury, the Braves who batted leadoff combined for a .208 average (the third-worst mark in baseball) with a .631 OPS (third-worst). But that was before Alex Anthopoulos acquired Jorge Soler, a rare slugger with patience at the plate.

Soler hit first for the Braves before — three years ago, after Atlanta acquired him from Kansas City in a Deadline Day deal. He was hitting under .200 at the time but moving to a contending club helped; he went on to win the 2021 World Series MVP award.

Kelenic had a nice run in the leadoff spot but then slipped into the same malaise that has been pervasive throughout the lineup to everyone except Marcell Ozuna (and lately Matt Olson).

The point here is that getting the leadoff man on base, even if only with a walk, often jump-starts the scoring. And for a team with such strong pitching, getting an early lead usually means winning the game.

Atlanta entered play Friday in second place, six games behind Philadelphia but first in the wild scramble for the three wild-card spots.

Historically, the Braves are a second-half team that plays its best ball once the Dog Days of August have started. Since both the Phillies and Mets face tough road trips while the Braves play the stripped-down Marlins at home, the distance from first to second could get even smaller by the end of the weekend.

With no Rickey Henderson, Tim Raines, or Acuña to get things started, Atlanta will have to hope Soler continues his recent penchant for blending power with walks. A slugger who reaches base often starts things off for the rest of the team.

Former AP sportswriter Dan Schlossberg of Fair Lawn, NJ is the author of 40 baseball books, including Home Run King: the Remarkable Record of Hank Aaron. He covers baseball for forbes.com, USA TODAY Sports Weekly, and other outlets. Contact Dan via ballauthor@gmail.com.