Braves' Breakout Players, Most Disappointing to Start 2023 Season
The Atlanta Braves are working on a run of five straight NL East titles, and they once again look like the team to beat in the division roughly one quarter of the way into the 2023 season.
The starting rotation has been hit hard by injuries, but a breakout performance from Bryce Elder has helped stabilize the staff. Meanwhile, left field remains a bit of a revolving door, though Sam Hilliard has been a nice under-the-radar offseason pickup.
In a lineup loaded with impact bats, reigning NL Rookie of the Year Michael Harris II is still trying to hit his stride after missing time early with an injury.
Ahead, we've taken a closer look at the biggest breakout players, as well as the most disappointing one, on the Braves roster through the first quarter of the 2023 season.
Under-the-Radar Breakout: OF Sam Hilliard
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Sam Hilliard flashed some serious power potential during his time in the Colorado Rockies minor league system, including a 35-homer, 101-RBI season at Triple-A in 2019 that earned him his first MLB call-up.
Despite that success in the upper levels of the minors, he hit just .212/.294/.423 for an 82 OPS+ in 639 plate appearances over the past four seasons in Colorado, and the Braves acquired him in exchange for minor league pitcher Dylan Spain in November.
The 29-year-old has played more than expected as a result of Michael Harris II missing time and Eddie Rosario underperforming, and he has a 102 OPS+ with five doubles and three home runs in 75 plate appearances.
He's not a star, but he has been a useful fourth outfielder on a contending team.
Biggest Disappointment: OF Michael Harris II
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Michael Harris II made the jump straight from Double-A to the majors last year and did not miss a beat, hitting .297/.339/.514 for a 133 OPS+ with 27 doubles, 19 home runs, 64 RBI, 75 runs scored, 20 steals and 5.3 WAR in 114 games.
The Braves locked him up with an eight-year, $72 million deal that included a pair of club options in the midst of that breakout performance, and he was expected to be a key contributor once again this season.
Instead, a lower back strain and a knee injury have limited him to just 26 games, and he is hitting .163/.242/.244 with one home run in 95 plate appearances.
His batted-ball metrics are similar to where they were a year ago, and he has been the victim of some bad luck with a .197 batting average on balls in play, so expect some positive regression in the coming weeks.
Biggest Breakout: RHP Bryce Elder
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Despite a strong showing down the stretch as a rookie last year, Bryce Elder was not part of the Opening Day rotation for the Braves, though an injury to Max Fried on Opening Day quickly opened up a spot for him on the staff.
The 24-year-old does not have swing-and-miss stuff—his 7.7 strikeouts per nine innings are middling at best—but he has an NL-best 2.06 ERA through 52.1 innings thanks to his ability to limit quality contact.
Armed with a low-90s sinker and a slider, he has generated a 56.1 percent ground-ball rate that ranks fourth among all qualified pitchers. That is the key to his success, and it has helped him emerge as one of the biggest breakout pitchers of the 2023 season.
Will he keep it up and find his way onto the NL All-Star team?
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