I think someone needs to go
I’m not a fire the coaching staff kind of guy, The staff typically is there to make basic personnel decisions, some pitching and hitting decisions based on some simple rules, and try to keep players as healthy as you can. Some staffs do this very well, some are very stubborn, but to me their duties typically don’t move the needle very far in either direction. It’s really up to the roster to shine through.
It doesn’t make sense that Eli White has sat the past two days against RH starters. He’s better offensively and defensively than Verdugo. White also has reverse splits. Still, Snit just indicated he plans for most of White’s starts to come vs LH starters.
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) May 24, 2025
But it’s not really coming together. They don’t really have a coherent plan when it comes to handedness. They try to do favorable handedness matchups when selecting hitters, even when it doesn’t make sense to do it with left field. However, handedness is almost completely ignored when it comes to relievers. Relievers have inning slots, regardless of handedness or leverage. It’s why the Braves’ relievers are nearly always in the top 5 of unfavorable handedness matchups. In the few times when a pitcher has good reverse splits, they make sure to make use of this. Reverse splits for hitters are ignored, though.
Starters stay in the game until they get knocked around or approach 100 pitches. They feel the need to save the bullpen at all costs. But is this year’s bullpen one that requires saving? They have four pitchers with a positive WAR that have thrown more than ten innings. WAR isn’t the best metric for relievers, but guess how many saves do the positive contributors have? (It’s one. Around Ivan we don’t talk about Bummer, no no.) You knew coming in that this season’s bullpen hierarchy was going to take a long time to get settled, but I didn’t think it would be upside down and in the ditch at this point.
I will give Ivan the floor about their bizarre hitting approach:
The team the Braves assembled has never been good at situational hitting. They were good at homers. Now they’re not good at homers, and also not good at situational hitting (unless you need a runner moved to third, I guess). All the other stuff that people like to talk about mattering to swing games (even though they’re wrong)? Also not improved. The team has worse batting results with RISP than without RISP; it has a 110 wRC+ in low leverage, 90 in medium leverage, and 88 in high leverage. “The 2025 Atlanta Braves: we are good at defense and hitting in low leverage” is not much of a slogan.
And I’m sorry but Game 1 of Thursday’s doubleheader sent myself and pretty much everyone into a fury with this nonsense:
WOW man. We are so lucky to have Spencer Strider
After AJSS got hit by a line drive he stayed in the game. Strider walked over to Kranny and told him he noticed something with AJSS arm, then they went out and pulled him. Strider talked with the coaches then went down to check on pic.twitter.com/6PDNsMkTAr— Dillion Harper (@og_yungdilly) May 29, 2025
What exactly are they doing in the dugout? What exactly are they doing when they come to check on AJ Smith-Shawver? Do they understand that failure here means promoting Bryce Elder? (I love you Bryce, and don’t mean to be unfair but starting is not where we need you.) So many questions. Another is how come the Braves feed didn’t bother to catch any of this or didn’t comment on it at all? Did they not think anyone would see this? Are you trying to prop up Brian Snitker?
Then they get down a run in the ninth inning and get Ozzie Albies on first. They try to have him steal second base with the heart of the order coming up with no outs. They end up getting three walks and a hit without scoring a run versus the division leaders. What’s the plan there? Even if you tie the game, who’s pitching the ninth and possibly more and keeping the Phillies off the scoreboard? You didn’t want to try to score multiple runs there?
So do the Braves really know what they are doing? I’m not sure but I think they’re clutching at straws now. They oscillate back and forth between everyone taking slappy swings and trying to kill the ball. How do you go to Denver in the thinnest air in MLB versus the worst team in maybe 90 years and come home with 24 singles, 0 home runs, and 1 loss in 3 games? Can you tell me what they’re doing? Or does someone need to be walked to Human Resources?
Daily Notes
Record: 27-30
Yesterday’s wOBA and xwOBA: .398 | .352 (Season rank: 15th | 11th)
Yesterday’s opponent wOBA and xwOBA: .139 | .210 (Season rank: 14th | 12th)
Yesterday’s homers: 2
Yesterday’s homers allowed: 0
Record when out-xwOBAing: 18-12 (League: 629-228)
Record when out-xwOBAed: 9-18 (League: 228-629)
Record when out-wOBAing: 23-3 (League: 726-135)
Record when out-wOBAed: 4-27 (League: 135-726)
Record when outhomering: 13-5 (League: 454-131)
Record when outhomered: 5-16 (League: 131-454)