Braves Players With Most to Prove for Rest of 2024 Season
The Atlanta Braves are still squarely in the postseason race, but they have not been the same clear-cut title contender we have seen in recent years over the first few months of the season.
Losing Ronald Acuña Jr. to a season-ending injury was a major blow, while the back of the pitching staff has been a revolving door all year after Spencer Strider was lost for the season himself.
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.
OF Adam Duvall
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Since Ronald Acuna Jr. was lost to a torn ACL on May 26, veteran Adam Duvall has been the primary right fielder for the Braves, and his production has been sorely lacking.
In 87 plate appearances, he is hitting .136/.195/.272 with 27 strikeouts, and Ramón Laureano has started seeing more playing time in recent days. Expect adding another outfield bat to be a priority at the deadline, but Duvall is also still capable of providing a bigger impact.
The 35-year-old had a 119 OPS+ with 21 home runs in 353 plate appearances with the Boston Red Sox just last season, which earned him a one-year, $3 million deal and his third go-around in Atlanta.
He has shown capable of getting red-hot at the plate throughout his career, and his next hot streak could be right around the corner.
OF Jarred Kelenic
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Once one of baseball's elite prospects, Jarred Kelenic struggled to find his groove at the plate during his first two seasons in the big leagues, hitting a combined .168/.251/.338 with a 29.9 percent strikeout rate while being demoted to the minors more than once.
The 24-year-old took a major step forward last year, posting a 109 OPS+ with 25 doubles, 11 home runs, 49 RBI and 13 steals in 105 games, though he still whiffed at a 31.7 percent rate and the Seattle Mariners opted to sell high during the offseason.
With a 106 OPS+ and 16 extra-base hits in 192 plate appearances, he has been productive once again, but he is still capable of taking his game to another level if all of the raw tools he showed in the minors translate to on-field production.
He is under club control through 2028, so the Braves will give him every opportunity to fully develop.
RHP Spencer Schwellenbach
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The Braves have tried a cavalcade of different pitchers in the No. 5 starter role since Spencer Strider was lost for the season, and right-hander Spencer Schwellenbach has showed the most promise of the group to this point.
The 24-year-old was a second-round pick in the 2021 draft following a standout junior season as a two-way player at Nebraska, hitting .284/.403/.459 with 19 extra-base hits as the team's starting shortstop while also nailing down 10 saves with a 0.57 ERA and 34 strikeouts in 31.2 innings as the team's closer.
The Braves drafted him to pitch, and had to be patient after he underwent Tommy John surgery shortly after being drafted, but he has proven worth the wait.
He tossed a pair of quality starts to begin his big league career, and has a 4.98 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 19 strikeouts in 21.2 innings over his first four starts. He could be the answer to shoring up the rotation, which would allow the front office to focus on other areas at the trade deadline.
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