Braves: Improvements behind the plate have been eye-popping so far | Sportidiya

Braves: Improvements behind the plate have been eye-popping so far

Before the season, I opined that catcher would be an area where the Braves will improve greatly this year. The primary reason for this was the return of a healthy Travis d'Arnaud, but I also mentioned the depth the Braves added, which was a major issue for the team last season. Manny Pia was an excellent addition, but he was gone for the season after wrist surgery a few months ago. The Braves had a backup plan in the form of William Contreras, who has been on fire since the start of 2022.


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Lately, d'Arnaud has been on fire with the stick. He hit.321 with four home runs and an OPS of 1.192 during the Braves' 14-game winning streak. With 1.6 WAR this season, he ranks seventh among catchers, thanks in large part to his outstanding defence behind the plate. Although d'Arnaud is deserving of All-Star selection, he may be overlooked because his teammate is stealing some of his playing time.
After a rough season last year, William Contreras has shown that he not only belongs in the majors, but that he also deserves to start. It's a fantastic problem for the Braves to have, especially given how hot Atlanta can get throughout the summer. Contreras has only appeared in 30 games this season, but he already has 1.3 fWAR, which puts him in 11th place among catchers. That's unbelievable, but considering his slash line of.284/.360/.627/.987, it makes sense. Who knows whether it'll last, but the two Contreras brothers appear to be the best offensive backstops in the league right now.


I don't believe it's unreasonable to suggest the Braves have the greatest catching situation in baseball at this point. In fact, I believe a large number of people would agree, which is incredible given how bad Atlanta's pitching was last season. d'Arnaud missed the majority of last season due to injury, and when he returned, he was a shadow of the player he has become this season. Don't even get me started on the guys who took his place. Alex Jackson and Kevan Smith were both terrible, and while I liked Stephen Vogt, he was also nothing special. The Braves have improved in a number of categories this season, which isn't bad for a team coming off a World Series victory.The title of the series is important, but nowhere is it more important than behind the plate.

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