2023 Atlanta Braves

2023 Atlanta Braves / Franchise: Atlanta Braves / BR Team Page

Record: 104-58 Finished 1st in NL Eastern Division (2023 NL)

Clinched Division: September 13, 2023, At Philadelphia Phillies

General Manager: Alex Anthopoulos

Managed by Brian Snitker

Coaches: Sal Fasano, Drew French, Rick Kranitz, Bobby Magallanes, Eddie Perez, Kevin Seitzer, Ron Washington, Walt Weiss and Eric Young

Ballpark: Truist Park

History, Comments, Contributions

The 2023 Atlanta Braves were outstanding in the first 81 games of the season, through June 30th. They went 54-27 in that span, the most wins ever in franchise history after 81 games. They had an amazing month of June during which they went 21-4, matching a franchise record for most wins in a month. They also hit 61 home runs, the most ever by a National League team in any month, and tied for third-most ever by a major league team. It was their second month of hitting 50 or more homers as they had also topped the total in May. They finished June by demolishing the Miami Marlins, their closest pursuers in the NL East, 16-4 in a game in which they hit six homers; it was already their eighth game of five or more homers that season, only three behind the all-time record of 11 by the 2019 Minnesota Twins - set over a full season, it goes without saying. Michael Soroka finally recorded his first victory since going down with a torn Achilles tendon in the first days of the 2020 season in that game.

Among other mind-blowing stats compiled by the Braves over those first three months included scoring 81 1st-inning runs, miles above the pace of the all-time record holders, the 2000 St. Louis Cardinals, who had scored 147 1st-inning runs at the height of baseball's most-recent high-scoring era. Ronald Acuna was having an MVP-type season, being the first player to have 20 homers and 35 stolen bases before the All-Star break. Which would not be a break for him, as he was the top vote-getter in the fan balloting for the 2023 All-Star Game, winning him a spot on the starting outfield for the National League. Also elected by fans were SS Orlando Arcia and C Sean Murphy, the third Braves catcher to make the All-Star team in two years. 1B Matt Olson also had put up great numbers, leading the NL with 28 homers after 81 games. On July 7th, with two more games to go before the break, the Braves set a new all-time record for most homers before the All-Star game with 167, with Murphy providing the record blow in accounting for both runs in a 2-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rays. The Braves at that point were ahead of the pace set by the 2019 Twins for most homers over a full season, with was 309.

On August 21st, during a rare 10-4 loss to the New York Mets, Marcell Ozuna hit his 25th and 26th homers of the year. He was the fifth Braves player with 25 or more long balls, joining NL home run leader Matt Olson, Austin Riley, Ozzie Albies and Acuna. This was the first time this had happened in franchise history, and they later matched the 2019 Twins when these five hitters all topped 30 homers. All five apart from Ozuna, who had started the year stone cold, had been named to play in the 2022 All-Star Game, as well as Murphy, Arcia and Ps Bryce Elder and Spencer Strider, giving Atlanta a stunning eight players at the game; indeed, at one point in the contest, the entire National League infield was composed of Braves players. On August 30th, they set a new franchise's single-season home run record with 250 - with a month still to go in the season.

On September 10th, the Braves became the first major league team to clinch a spot in the postseason with a record of 93-49. They finished the season at 104-58, winning a sixth consecutive division title and earning the top seed in the postseason as well as a bye into the Division Series round. In the season finale on October 1st, Ozuna homered in the 9th inning of a 10-9 loss to the Washington Nationals for the team's 307th homer of the season, ending in a tie with the 2019 Twins for the all-time record. They did set a new record in terms of team slugging percentage, however, finishing at .501. Ozuna's homer also gave them three players with 40 or more, alongside Olson and Acuna, matching the 1973 edition of the team that featured Hank Aaron, Darrell Evans and Davey Johnson and only the fourth time overall this had been done by any team. Olson set the modern franchise record for home runs with 54, leading the majors, and for RBIs with 139. Strider was the only 20-game winner in the majors, finishing at 20-5, and also set a modern franchise record for strikeouts with 281.

Awards and Honors

• All-Stars: Ronald Acuna, Ozzie Albies, Orlando Arcia, Bryce Elder, Sean Murphy, Matt Olson, Austin Riley and Spencer Strider
• NL MVP: Ronald Acuna
• NL Silver Slugger Award: Ronald Acuna (OF), Matt Olson (1B) and Austin Riley (3B)

Further Reading

• Mark Bowman: "3 reasons Braves are 2023 title contenders", mlb.com, December 29, 2023. [1]
• Mark Bowman: "Braves close out June with record-setting power display in blowout win", mlb.com, July 1, 2023. [2]
• Mark Bowman: "'This lineup is ridiculous': Braves set new franchise single-season homer record", mlb.com, August 31, 2023. [3]
• Mark Bowman: "Acuña's big hit secures Braves postseason berth", mlb.com, September 10, 2023. [4]
• Mark Bowman: "Juggernaut Braves reach 100 wins, continuing historic season", mlb.com, September 24, 2023. [5]
• Mark Bowman: "Braves tie mark for team homers, finish with record .501 SLG", mlb.com, October 1, 2023. [6]
• Dan Gelston: "Atlanta Braves clinch 6th straight NL East title, beat Phillies 4-1 as Strider gets 17th win", apnews.com, September 13, 2023. [7]
• Brian Murphy: "Do Braves have the best first-inning offense ever?", mlb.com, October 5, 2023. [8]
• Manny Randhawa: "Poised for record-setting September, Braves the definition of juggernaut", mlb.com, September 5, 2023. [9]

2023 MLB season by team