We are through the first week of live spring training games and the new rules appear to be working. Scoring is up across the league, but length of time of play is down by an average of twenty minutes. Something else is changing, but falling under the radar because of the pitch clock and shift: successful stolen base attempts are increasing. There are a multitude of reasons for this, including the limited number of pickoff attempts that a pitcher is limited to, and slightly larger bases. There aren't too many teams that will be able to take more advantage of this that the Atlanta Braves, and no one believes this more than Ozzie Albies.
Ozzie was asked earlier in the week if he thought that a 30-30 season (30 homeruns, 30 stolen bases) was feasible, and he replied "I'll take 30-30, but my goal is 40-40" (The Athletic). Even better than this lofty but realistic goal, Ozzie thinks that Ronald Acuña Jr and Michael Harris can reach 40-40 as well. Many of us have the expectation of 40-40 from Acuña, as he is fully healed from his right knee injury, and almost accomplished this task in 2019 when he hit 41 homeruns and swiped 37 bags. Let's talk about reigning National League Rookie of the Year Michael Harris. In Harris' rookie campaign, he hit 19 homeruns and stole 20 bases in 114 games, from the ninth spot in the order most of the season. Imagine what Harris will do if he hits second in 2023. Austin Riley had 615 at-bats in 2022 hitting in the top of the lineup; Michael Harris had 414. Will 200 at-bats equate to 20 homeruns and 20 stolen bases? With all of the factors mentioned earlier plus a second season where Harris will be more acclimated to the league it might. That makes the biggest X-factor in this situation Ozzie Albies himself. Ozzie only played in 64 games last year due to some lingering injuries, but none as serious as Ronald Acuña's knee injury, so when Ozzie says that he is recovered we have to take him at his word. In 2021 Ozzie Albies hit 30 homeruns and stole 20 bases, so if 40-40 is his goal for 2023, you have to think that he at least gets close. There have been 4 40-40 players in the history of MLB, and the last to do it was Alphonso Soriano in 2006. There have never been 2 40-40 players on the same team, so 3 seems pretty impossible, but according to Andy Bunker and Randy McMichael, if any team in the league has the talent to pull this feat off, it's the 2023 Atlanta Braves.