The Atlanta Braves season has come to an end after a harsh loss against the Philadelphia Phillies in the fourth game of the National League Division Series (NLDS).
While this year’s NLDS series was a tough one, it is nothing the fans haven’t experienced before. Atlanta fans went through the same disappointment when the Braves lost to the Phillies the same way in the 2022 MLB postseason.
Many blame this loss due to the extended break in between the series. Junior Aaron Smith talks about why the Braves failed to make it further. Smith said, “The Braves choked due to the high-pressure environment, as well as the awkward rest time built into the format which messed with their readiness.” Smith has been a Braves fan for as long as he can remember.
Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker commented on these assumptions in an interview from: Brian Snitker Post-Game Interview. Snitker said, “We thought we did everything possible during the delay, recreated things the best we could. We can do everything right and all that and you start a series, and you know what, your offense doesn’t get traction.”
While the post season was rough, the Braves regular season was one to remember. One could say this season was record-breaking, but it also held many memorable moments.
Atlanta ended their regular season with the highest winning record in the league 104-58. This was the highest number of wins for the franchise since 1998. With this record, the Braves clinched their sixth straight win of the National League East division.
The Braves broke the National League record of homeruns with 281 in Sept, but on the last game of the regular season, #20 outfielder Marcell Ozuna hit the 307th home run of the Braves’ season. This accomplishment tied the 2023 Braves with the 2019 Minnesota Twins in the most homeruns hit by a team in a single season.
There were several Braves players that hit over 20 homeruns this season. This includes Matt Olson with 54, Acuna with 41, Ozuna with 40, Austin Riley with 37, Ozzie Albies with 33, Eddie Rosario with 21, and Sean Murphy with 21.
One stand-out player this season was #13 outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. He set a franchise record with 73 stolen bases. With his home runs and stolen bases this season, he became the first major league player to reach a 40-70 season (homeruns-stolen bases).
Another player with a notable performance this season is #28 first baseman Matt Olson. He set a Braves franchise record with 54 homeruns and RBI (runs batted in) record of 139.
#99 Pitcher Spencer Strider also had a remarkable season. Strider joined the Braves in the championship year, 2021. He ended this season with a strikeout record of 281. He had 44 more strikeouts than any major league pitcher this year.
After this incredible season, Snitker talks about his thoughts on it. Snitker said, “It takes a while to get over something like this after the year we had, the expectation we have here.”
He continues to explain how while losing was tough, the Phillies are a very advanced team who “pitched really well” and had a lot of great hits. The Phillies fan base was very quick and bold in expressing the thrill of winning, and some are already looking forward to next season and beating the Braves yet again.
Junior Madison Hardnock has been a Phillies fan for years. She expresses her excitement looking into next year, she says, “I am excited for the Phillies and cannot wait to cut the braves out of the post season three years in a row.”
While both teams are eliminated from playoffs now, next season begins with preparations starting early 2024.
