The official season for the Atlanta Braves was completed on Oct. 1. The Braves had a fantastic season going 104-58, just 2 wins shy of the record set in 1998. The Braves have a massive fan following spanning multiple states. Braves fans follow the team throughout the season as well as enjoy going to games. This season alone 3,191,505 people visited Truist Park, the home of The Braves, and watched the team play.
Along with the record-breaking season for the team, many players broke personal and baseball records. Ronald Acuna Jr. was one of the players that hit a major record this season. This year he went 40/70, hitting 40 home runs and 70 base steals. This is the first time that anyone has ever done this in the sport of baseball. Acuna Jr. plays outfield but is most well-known for his hitting skills. He is a very valuable player and often brings home many points during each game. Acuna Jr. has won the 2023 MLB Player of the Year from Baseball Digest.
Another record that was made this season was made by Matt Olson. Olson plays 1st base and is an integral player on the team. This year he hit a franchise record of 136 RBI, RBI stands for run batted in, meaning that while batting Olson helped 136 runs get onto base. Lastly, Spencer Strider broke the record for the most strikeouts in a single season. He performed 281 strikeouts throughout the season.
The Braves had one of their best seasons in the past couple of years. They continue to impress and improve their record each season. The Braves are proud to call Atlanta home. The Braves pursued through many injuries and pushbacks. Including losing Michel Soroka, a pitcher, early out of the season to a forearm injury. Also pitcher Kyle Wright getting pulled from the season right before the beginning of postseason games.
The Braves this season experienced rule changes that forced The Braves to adapt their playing style. There were rule changes that made playing in between the leagues to make playing styles similar to each other. There was the attention of a pitch clock to limit the amount of time the pitcher has to actually throw the ball. The bases were also made larger and this changed the distance between the bases.
The Braves season is over but they continue to wow in postseason games. They play the Phillies in the first round of playoff games. If The Braves go on to continue to play either the Diamondbacks or LA Dodgers depending on who wins their series. Claire Wright, a sophomore, exclaimed “I really like The Braves and hope they win The World Series.”
