Atlanta’s star outfield reminded the baseball world that he’s one of the game’s best players.
It was a below-.500 month for the Atlanta Braves, with an 11-14 record, and saw the team battle an extended losing streak, rebound, and then drop four-out-of-five to close-out the month.
Forgetting the team results for June – as hard as that is to do – there were a handful of excellent individual performances during the month. Here are the players who deserve recognition for their June, but fell just short the best overall performance of the month.
The Starters: Chris Sale, Spencer Schwellenbach, Spencer Strider, Grant Homes
Each of these four starters had career-best games during June. Sale only made three starts due to the fractured rib cage he suffered in the ninth inning of his near-complete game. If not for that injury, he may have been the June Player of the Month.
As for the others – all of whom made at least five starts in June – Holmes struck out 15 in one outing to set a career high. Schwellenbach tossed a complete game and then closed out his month by setting a career high with 12 strikeouts. Strider made six starts and seems close to returning to his pre-injury form; good news for the team that will be without Sale until at least August.
Dylan Lee
In the bullpen, Dylan Lee struggled a bit early in the season with home runs, but by the time the end of June rolled around, he has proved himself to be the top high-leverage option on the team. Tied for a team-high 11 appearances in June, the left-hander didn’t allow an earned run while striking out 15 in 12.2 innings pitched. He gave up only five hits and walked a single batter leading to microscopic 0.47 WHIP for the month.
Matt Olson
When June came to a close, Matt Olson had reached base in every game during the month to extend his on-base streak to 30 consecutive games. Although he only hit three home runs, he did connect for 10 doubles and drove in 21 runs. Additionally, he drew 19 walks and ended the month with a .937 OPS and was far-and-away the team’s second-best hitter.
As for the team’s best hitter during the month …
Battery Power June 2025 Braves Player of the Month: Ronald Acuña, Jr.
There was no doubting that Ronald Acuña, Jr. the team’s best hitter during June – despite cooling off in the last few games of the month – putting together an incredible 30 calendar days.
Playing in all 26 games, Acuña, Jr. slashed .360/.491/.596 with with six home runs, three doubles and four stolen bases. He scored 26 times while drawing 23 walks. The lack of offensive production at the bottom of Atlanta’s lineup was a factor in him driving in only six runners other than himself.
In the field, Acuña, Jr. had showed off his arm numerous times since he returned in May, but he made a game-altering catch against the New York Mets that highlighted his athleticism as he continued to allay concerns about his recovery from his second knee surgery.
With the 2025 All-Star Game being played in Atlanta this July for the first time since 2000, Acuña, Jr. has a chance to start the game based on fan voting and could be the only Braves position player to make the roster. Last week he announced he will be entering the Home Run Derby, a marque event during the All-Star Game festivities.
A National League Player of the Week earlier this month, Acuña, Jr. reminded everyone in Atlanta and across MLB that he is one of the best position players in baseball, when healthy. After missing nearly one calendar year due to injury, he spent June 2025 making up for lost time.
While the Atlanta Braves didn’t respond to Acuña, Jr’s return by going on a run and getting themselves back in the playoff hunt, there’s little more Atlanta’s star right-fielder could have done on the field in June to help the team crawl back into contention.
For the month, his hard work yielded a 201 wRC+ and in 34 games total this season he has produced 2.1 fWAR.
His 26 runs scored not only led the Braves in June, but all of MLB as well. For the month, he was second in the sport in walks and was one hit off the pace for first place in total hits.
Here’s to Ronald Acuña, Jr., Battery Power’s Braves Player of the Month for June 2025.