Having one of the most if not the most talented and deep rosters in baseball obviously is a big reason for the Atlanta Braves’ success so far this season. However, what should not be forgotten is the leadership and championship experience this Braves team has. Earlier today, The Morning Shift explained why the Braves veteran leadership and championship experience is a vital part of their first half success.
Mike Johnson says guys like Charlie Morton, Marcell Ozuna, Matt Olson, and Jesse Chavez who bring a nice veteran presence to a team with a young core is a reason this Braves team has been so good and so consistent so far this season.
“You have young, you have excitement, you have flashiness, you have all that, but the consistent guys that are level headed, that are mid 30s, your Jesse Chavez types, those are the ones that I really think make this team even keel and really send them to that level.” Johnson said.
Beau Morgan then points out when AJ Smith-Shawver first came up for the Braves he was talking to Jesse Chavez, and when Michael Harris II was struggling after returning from his lower back injury Marcell Ozuna was the guy that talked to him to remind him that he’s“ the best center fielder in MLB”. Now, Money Mike has been one of the hottest if not the hottest hitter in baseball since that pep talk from Ozuna.
Beau also brings up the point that a lot of the guys on this Braves team were on the 2021 World Series team, and they know what it takes to be a champion. “There is a lot of veteran leadership, but a lot of these guys know how to win. See this isn’t a team that’s figuring out how to win, they know how to win and they have guys that know how to win.” Morgan said.
If you remember in 2021 and 2022 the Braves started off slow and turned it on late. Now in 2023, it seems like after going through the grind and struggles that the 2021 and 2022 seasons brought, they have learned lessons from those struggles, and they are using those experiences to now have the best winning percentage at the all-star break in franchise history. The Braves are immensely talented, but their veteran leadership and championship experience is what makes them the best team in baseball.
