Jim Bowden discusses some Braves tendencies to be concerned about

To say the Braves’ season is off to an unusual start does not do it credit.

They presently have the best record in baseball (20-9), but they got there in an unexpected way.

For starters, the injury bug hit the Braves hard in the first few weeks of the season. Sean Murphy had an oblique injury on Opening Day and is yet to return. Spencer Strider tore his UCL in his second start and will miss the remainder of the season, while Ozzie Albies headed to the IL with a fractured toe shortly after. That’s three All-Stars down in the first three weeks, two of whom have scarcely played at all, and the Braves don’t appear phased.

The offense remains the best in the league in most categories, but it hasn’t been spearheaded by the three preseason NL MVP candidates. Ronald Acuña, Austin Riley, and Matt Olson all have an OPS of.706 or lower, with only six home runs combined. To put it in perspective, Marcell Ozuna has nine home runs on his own.

The Braves’ starting pitching staff, however, has really carried the team, particularly recently. Even without their ace, the rotation has been as strong as any in the league. Max Fried has regained his footing following a rocky start. Chris Sale and Reynaldo Lopez appear to be two of the better offseason acquisitions, while Charlie Morton does not appear to be getting older. Add in Bryce Elder, who has a 1.50 ERA after two starts, and the group’s post-Strider concerns are swiftly alleviated.

It’s not exactly how Braves supporters envisioned it before the season, but the results have been consistent. Alex Anthopoulos has assembled a well-balanced roster. However, it is only April. These tendencies are not all going to last the entire season. So, which ones are most likely to persist, and which are unlikely?

Jim Bowden of The Athletic recently had a couple for the Braves, one in each category.

6. Marcell Ozuna and Shohei Ohtani are making the case for full-time DHs

Several teams believe the DH position is best served by rotating position players to give them a rest while keeping their bats in the lineup. However, there are a couple of DHs who show having a full-time slugger in that role may be the best option. Case in point: Marcell Ozuna of the Braves and Shohei Ohtani of the Dodgers. Ozuna is batting .330 with nine home runs and a majors-leading .650 slugging percentage. His strong start isn’t a surprise considering he belted 40 homers with 100 RBIs last year, but it still stands out. Meanwhile, Ohtani has landed in L.A. and started to put together what could become the best offensive year of his career, batting .347 with seven home runs, 14 doubles, five stolen bases, a .406 OBP and a .635 slug. And yes, both the Braves and Dodgers are in first place, where they belong.

I understand that WAR does not favor designated hitters, but I believe that is one of WAR’s weaknesses. Marcell Ozuna was one of baseball’s top offensive performers last season, hitting 40 home runs and 100 RBIs. Nonetheless, he only earned 3.1 fWAR, which was tied with Lars Nootbaar, who hit.264 with 14 home runs.

Ozuna has been critical to the Braves’ success over the last year, hitting.321 with nine home runs, 32 RBIs, and a.624 slugging percentage, which leads the National League. You can take your defensive talk elsewhere; I’ll go with the guy who can hit 40 home runs every day of the week.

On what Braves trend not to buy, Bowden’s is rather obvious.

2. Ronald Acuña Jr. and Matt Olson’s April hitting stats

Ronald Acuña Jr., the reigning NL MVP, is batting .255 with only one home run in April. OK, so he had a bad month by his standards, but he’ll still be in the MVP conversation by September. Matt Olson, who last year had 54 home runs and 139 RBIs, is batting .211 with just three homers. Who cares? The Braves are still in first place. Olson, too, will get going in May. Remember how April showers make the garden beautiful in the May sunshine?

Watching Acuña, Riley, and Olson struggle has been frustrating. Last year, these players finished in the top seven of the NL MVP race, with Ronald Acuña winning the award and Matt Olson breaking the franchise record for home runs in a single season. It’s unusual for one of them to struggle so much, let alone all three at once.

Having saying that, these players have demonstrated All-Star-level productivity. There’s a reason they were all preseason favorites for the NL MVP, and as I always say, over the course of a 162-game season, the cream rises to the top. We’ll look up at the conclusion of the season and laugh at everybody who was concerned about their early season troubles.