The Atlanta Braves Were a Disaster In June

On June 1, the Atlanta Braves were 40-20. At that point, they had the best record in baseball and a comfortable 9.5-game lead in the NL East.

While it’s still too early to throw in the towel, June was a month Atlanta would like to forget as quickly as possible.

Braves’ Offense Has Disappeared

The numbers aren’t pretty. In June, the Braves have a 65 wRC+, by far the worst in baseball. Atlanta also ranked last in home runs (19), runs scored (77) and RBIs (72).

The Braves haven’t been getting production from the players they expect to perform.

Drake Baldwin returned from an oblique injury on June 6. He hit the longest home run in MLB this season (473 feet) in his first game back, but has been quiet ever since.

In his first 11 games after his return, he slashed .047/.089/.116 in 43 at-bats. He had just two hits and three runs scored while striking out 20 times. In the three games since then he’s 3-for-12 with a walk and three strikeouts.

At one point, Baldwin was perhaps the best player in Atlanta’s lineup.

But he’s not the only player who has underperformed this month.

Braves Also Have Starting Pitching Woes

June was a rough month for Braves starters. Atlanta starters had the fifth-highest ERA in the month of June (5.69). As a result, the starters collectively threw only 112.1 innings, the third lowest in the month.

The good news is that the bullpen has held up. The Braves had the lowest reliever ERA (2.14) and their left-on-base percentage (LOB%) of 81.9% was also the best mark in MLB.

June was a weird month for Atlanta’s ace, Chris Sale. He only started four games due to extended rest. Starting pitchers normally take the ball every five days, but Sale didn’t have a single start in the month on five days rest.

The Braves were 1-3 in Sale’s starts; however, he received a no decision in the one game Atlanta won. Sale was great as usual, but went 0-3 in June. This was despite the fact that he threw 23.0 innings across four starts with 29 strikeouts to just five walks. Sale recorded a 2.35 ERA, but run support was a major issue, as the Braves only managed to score five runs in his starts. 

Are the Atlanta Braves Spiraling Out Of Control?

Bad stretches of baseball happen, but the month of June was so bad for Atlanta that it might change the course of the season. They are still in first place, but the division lead has dwindled to under three games at the start of July.

On the injury front, the Braves are still missing key contributors. Unfortunately, most of them remain far from returning.

Atlanta manager Walt Weiss provided an update on Ronald Acuña Jr., saying he is a “long shot” to return before the All-Star break.