Braves Players With Most to Prove for Rest of 2023 Season
The Atlanta Braves have started to separate themselves from the rest of the pack in the National League while building a comfortable lead in the NL East standings and a triple-digit positive run differential that ranks third in the majors.
Continuing to find ways to shoulder the load in the starting rotation while Max Fried and Kyle Wright are sidelined, and getting the most out of their high-powered offense, will be the key to their continued success going forward, and there are a handful of players who have something to prove.
Whether it's an underperforming or injured star, an upcoming free agent, or a breakout performer at a key position who needs to maintain his current level of production, there are many reasons a player might have something to prove.
Ahead, we've highlighted three such names on the Braves roster.
RHP Bryce Elder
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Sinkerballer Bryce Elder has been one of the breakout pitchers of the 2023 season, building off a strong second-half performance last year to post a 2.60 ERA and 1.15 WHIP in 83 innings while helping to fill a starting rotation spot vacated by injuries to Max Fried and Kyle Wright.
The 24-year-old ranks fifth among qualified starters with a 57.0 percent groundball rate, and that has been the key to his success, but there are some regression red flags in his advanced stats.
His stellar ERA is backed by a less impressive 3.81 FIP that speaks to some inevitable regression, and his hard-hit rate (21st percentile) and average exit velocity (25th percentile) are both poor.
Elder has been a key to the team's success, and he will need to continue to prove he can be a reliable rotation option.
CF Michael Harris II
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Michael Harris II made the jump straight from Double-A to the majors last year and had an instant impact on the team's success, posting a 132 OPS+ with 19 home runs, 20 steals and 5.3 WAR in 114 games to take home NL Rookie of the Year honors.
The 22-year-old hit just .174/.260/.266 in 123 plate appearances over the first two months of the season while also missing time with a back injury, and it looked like he might be headed for the dreaded sophomore slump.
Things have picked up lately, though, as he is hitting .375/.388/.625 with four doubles, four home runs and 12 RBI in 67 plate appearances this month. He had a five-hit game on Sunday and has five multi-hit games this month.
This is a different Braves team if Harris is playing at that level the rest of the way.
RHP Michael Soroka
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In 2019, Michael Soroka finished runner-up in NL Rookie of the Year voting and sixth in NL Cy Young balloting in 2019, going 13-4 with a 2.68 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 142 strikeouts in 174.2 innings while looking like one of the best young pitchers in baseball.
Expected to be a rotation staple for years to come, he instead made just three starts the following year before missing the remainder of that season and all of the 2021 and 2022 seasons recovering from a torn Achilles.
Finally healthy this season, he was sent to Triple-A to begin the year before finally making his long-awaited return to the rotation on May 29.
However, in two starts, he allowed a combined 12 hits and nine earned runs in 9.2 innings before he was optioned back to the minors. He has recorded a pair of quality starts since returning to Triple-A, but his MLB impact the rest of the way is a huge question mark.
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