The Atlanta Braves have a secret formula, it seems. They can get production out of certain players that far outweighs their performance with other ballclubs.
After 2023 Most Valuable Player Ronald Acuña Jr. went down with a devastating ACL tear in May, the Braves have been rebuilding their outfield on the fly. And they've done so following a similar blueprint to the one that won them a World Series in 2021.
Since the start of the calendar year, the Braves have brought back outfielders Adam Duvall, Eddie Rosario, and Jorge Soler, all of whom played key roles on the 2021 championship team. And though the first two have struggled, including one being released, the latter has excelled.
Soler has been excellent since his return, though he also missed some time recently with a strained hamstring. His production earned him the recognition of one baseball insider, who had high praise for Soler's second-half improvement.
Thomas Harrigan of MLB.com ranked Soler eighth among the most improved hitters in baseball since the All-Star break by OPS, while noting the symmetry between this season and 2021, the last time the Braves acquired Soler via trade.
"The Braves went back to the well in 2024, picking up Soler in a Deadline deal with the Giants to help replace (Ronald Acuña Jr.), once again sidelined by a torn ACL," Harrigan said. "Soler has produced an .897 OPS over 16 games with the Braves, building on the 1.090 OPS he had in 11 games with San Francisco coming out of the All-Star break."
Not only has Soler been instrumental in the keeping the Braves' offense afloat, but he's also stepped in on defense, which wasn't previously expected from him at the current stage of his career.
Soler had exclusively been a designated hitter in San Francisco, but because Marcell Ozuna has the DH slot on lock for Atlanta, Soler has played a corner outfield role. His defense has been well below league average, but it's worth it to get the extra power bat in the lineup.
If Soler continues hitting like he has since the break, Atlanta's odds of making the playoffs will look a lot more robust. And if they get a healthy Riley and Albies to rejoin Soler in the lineup for October, there's no telling how far this Atlanta team might go.
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