It would seem unlikely that an MLB team could reel off 12 straight wins and not even be operating at an optimal level, but the 2022 Braves have shown that it's quite possible.
The Bravos are undefeated so far in June, having reeled off their longest winning streak in nearly a decade as they've outscored opponents 83-35 during the streak. Broadly, one could say everything has been clicking — pitching, hitting, defense — and that would be accurate. But it's also not totally correct, which makes what Atlanta is doing all the more impressive.
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Though the Braves have gotten solid efforts from their starting rotation and bullpen for most of the season (their 3.72 ERA and .230 average against are both third-best in the NL), they've been winning primarily with their bats for the past few weeks. But they've been winning despite a relative lack of contributions from three of their key hitters: Matt Olson, Marcell Ozuna and Ozzie Albies. It's not that the three have played literally no role in the winning streak (or in the team's success this season), but rather that their contributions have been continually underwhelming relative to needs and expectations.
Olson, acquired to fill the void left by Freddie Freeman at first base, leads the league in doubles (24) and his .353 on-base percentage is actually a few ticks higher than his career norm (.348), but his power and run-producing numbers are way down. His season .806 OPS is well below his .853 average, while his wRC+ of 123 is his lowest in a full season since 2018 and his 31 RBIs rank just fourth-most on the team. During the 12-game winning streak, Olson has slashed .200/.273/.340 with a .613 OPS. Yet, there have been bright spots.
Ozuna, meanwhile, has been as bad during the streak as he's been all season. His abysmal season wRC+ of 84 is actually higher than his wRC+ during the streak (65). He's driven in just three runs during the Braves' hot stretch and has carried a .220/.256/.342 slash line along with a paltry .597 OPS. Despite all this, there have been big moments for him too.
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Then there's Albies, who now comes with a major and unfortunate caveat: He's going to miss significant time after he broke his foot on a swing Monday in Washington. He's likely to miss a couple of months, meaning the Braves will have to mostly lean on backup Orlando Arcia to spell Albies in the lineup. But before the injury, Albies was having the worst season of his career, an unwelcome surprise after last season's 30-homer, 106-RBI performance. His wRC+ of 91 this season is a career low, as are his .289 OBP and .694 OPS. Like Ozuna, Albies' output during the streak has been even worse than his season-long numbers: .250 OBP, a .672 OPS and an 81 wRC+.
But, like with Olson and Ozuna, there have still been some key swings.
Which brings us back to the original question: Could the red-hot Braves, winners of 12 straight, the defending World Series champs, the team now steadily gaining on the division-leading Mets, be even better than what they've shown in June? With even a little more production from Olson, Ozuna and, eventually, Albies (and Arcia, who's been great in small sample sizes this season), it would be tempting to say the answer is yes.
But if their production rebounds to match the preseason expectations and career norms, and as long as the rest of the team maintains a pace close to what's been established in the season thus far, it would seem to be an unequivocal yes.
(Side note: None of this takes into account the inconsistencies of Charlie Morton and Ian Anderson on the mound this season. During the 12-game winning streak, Morton has fanned 20 batters in 11 innings but has carried a 6.55 ERA. Anderson is 2-0 during the streak but with a 6.19 ERA. If they can settle down and get closer to what the Braves need and expect from them, it only provides more reason to believe that Atlanta will only get more formidable as the season progresses.)
It's not unusual for a team to get hot even with one key player struggling, perhaps even with two key players struggling if the right other pieces are in place. But for a team with more World Series aspirations to have three of its expected top run producers still struggling to find their way and contributing little during the hottest stretch of the season? That leads one to think that the show may only be getting started.
