Acuna got his 40th stolen base in a 4-2 win against the Cleveland Guardians on Monday night. This is already the most he ever had in a single season, matching his previous career high of 37 from the 2019 season. Also, the 25-year-old Acuna Jr. is the only the third player with 20 home runs and 40 steals after 84 games, joining Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson and Cincinnati Reds’ legend Eric Davis.

Acuna is batting .335 for the season and has 21 home runs and 54 RBIs. He has been named the NL Player of the Month for June and was selected to his third consecutive All-Star game.

With Acuna playing at a high level, the Atlanta Braves have been tearing through their recent slate of games. They have won nine straight and currently sit at the top of the NL East with a 57-27 record. Their 57 wins are the most in NL and have them tied with Tampa Bay Rays for most in MLB.

The post Braves Ronald Acuna Jr. Enters the All-Star Break With Historic Statline appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

The deal that landed Murphy in Atlanta also included the Milwaukee Brewers and saw nine players change teams.

As part of the trade, the Braves sent promising catcher William Contreras and reliever Justin Yeager to the Brewers and pitchers Kyle Muller and Freddy Tarnok, catcher Manny Pina and prospect Royber Salinas to Oakland. Meanwhile, the A’s also received outfielder Esteury Ruiz from Milwaukee while sending reliever Joel Payamps in the opposite way.   

The Oakland Athletics have been stripping down their roster for a while now and made it clear to the teams that Sean Murphy is available for the right price. This got a lot of teams circling, given the fact that Murphy was under control for three more years and is widely considered one of the best catchers in baseball. In the end, the Braves were first to pull the trigger, hoping the former-third round pick could raise their ceiling with his premium defense.

“We definitely gave up a ton,” Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos told reporters. “But we got a really good player back. Getting players like that is hard.”

Murphy batted a career-high .250 in 2022 with 18 home runs and 66 RBIs. He has a Gold Glove award on his resume from 2021.

The post Braves Land Star Catcher Sean Murphy From Athletics as Part of 3-Way Trade appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

While the Braves didn’t disclose the financial terms of the agreement, Strider will reportedly get $75 million in the next six years. The deal also gives the Braves a club option for the 2029 MLB season. The option comes with a $22 million salary for Strider and a $5 million buyout.

After the news became official, Strider said that he expects not only to justify Atlanta’s confidence in him but also to outperform his contract.

“My goal is always to outperform any expectations,” Strider said after inking the deal. “There’s nobody that has higher aspirations or expectations for performance than myself. And so in that way, I don’t feel any pressure. The expectation is that I outperform any contract I ever sign.”

Strider is currently out with an oblique muscle strain, but the Braves are reportedly hoping the 23-year-old will be ready for their NLDS clash with the Philadelphia Phillies.

Spencer Strider played 31 games in 2022 in what has been his first full season in the majors. He made 20 starts and finished the campaign with an 11-5 record, 2.67 ERA, and 202 strikeouts. Strider needed only 130 innings to reach the 200 strikeouts mark, which now stands as an MLB record.

The post Braves Sign Rookie RHP Spencer Strider to 6-Year, $75 Million Deal appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

The Braves entered June 10.5 games behind the leading New York Mets and facing long odds to continue their streak. What followed was an impressive stretch that saw Atlanta win 78 games in the following 111 contests, which was the best outing in the whole MLB. They also got the edge in head-to-head record versus the Mets to claim the tiebreaker for the division title.

With the NL East title in their hands and a 101-60 record to show for, the Braves will embark on a quest to defend their World Series title with a first-round playoff bye.

“It’s hard to win one,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said after the Marlins’ game. “To win five is pretty special. It’s a credit to our organization.”

It remains to be seen whether another strong end to the season will translate to playoff success for the Atlanta Braves. The team started the 2021 campaign with a 30-35 record before turning things around and finishing at the top of the NL East with an 88-73 record. They then embarked on an impressive World Series-winning run that saw them needing six or fewer games to eliminate their opponents in each of the three rounds.

The post Atlanta Braves Win 5th Straight NL East after Impressive Season Turnaround appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

During a recent Instagram Live Interview with sports reporter Yancen Pujols, Acuna Jr. said there is “nothing” he misses about Freeman and revealed the two were not on the best of terms.

At one point in the interview, Pujols shifted the topic to Freeman’s exit from the Braves and asked Acuna what he’ll miss about his ex-teammate.

“Me? Nothing”, responded Acuna.

Acuna added that he wasn’t close with Freeman and pointed out to “lots of clashes” they had. He explained that this came “through time” and pointed out negative experiences he had during his rookie season that caused the rift.

Freeman later responded to Acuna’s comments, saying he didn’t believe he was too harsh.

“It’s unfortunate that he viewed it like that, but we were always told, you put on a Braves uniform, you’re supposed to act a little differently, hold yourself a little differently. And I just tried to uphold those rules as good as I could,” Freeman explained.

With Freeman out, Ronald Acuna Jr. will most likely be the face of the Braves franchise in years to come. The 24-year-old player had two All-Star appearances in the past three years while also making the All-MLB Second Team twice. Acuna is currently recovering from an ACL injury he suffered midway through the 2021 MLB season.

The post Braves’ Ronald Acuna Jr. Misses “Nothing” About Ex-Teammate Freddie Freeman appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

The Braves were twice behind but responded each time and managed to make it 4-4 by the bottom of the fifth. After a scoreless two innings, Freeman took the stage and hit a solo homer off a pitch from the Brewers’ All-Star Josh Hader in the bottom of the eighth.

With a 5-4 lead in hand, Atlanta sent out closer Will Smith to finish the job, and the celebration could start.

As ESPN points out, Freeman’s homer was the first in the Braves’ history that came in the eighth inning or later and secured a win in a postseason series. It was also the first time that Hader allowed a home run in the playoffs.

“I’ve had a lot of cool moments in my career, but so far I think that’s going to top them right there,” Freeman told reporters after the game. “But hopefully that’s not the last cool one.”

The Braves now get a do-over after they were eliminated in 2020’s NLCS by the Los Angeles Dodgers in seven games. They will face the Dodgers again on Saturday night.

The Brewers, on the other hand, end their postseason run earlier than they have envisioned after winning NL Central with 95 wins.

The post Freddie Freeman’s Homer Sends Braves to NLCS appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

The Braves confirmed the deal on their social media on Friday.

While the Braves did not disclose the financial terms of the agreement, ESPN reports that d’Arnaud will earn $16 million in 2022 and 2023 combined. The team will also have an option to extend his deal for one additional year at the price of $8 million.

Speaking with reporters about his new deal, d’Arnaud said that he wasn’t interested in testing free agency and had his eyes on the long-term stay in Atlanta for some time now.

“It’s such a great environment, great atmosphere,” said d’Arnaud. “The city’s welcomed me and my family with open arms.”

Travis d’Arnaud joined the Braves in 2020 as a free agent, inking an almost identical two-year, $16 million deal. He had an impressive outing in his first year with the team, batting career-high .321 with nine home runs and 34 RBIs during a shortened MLB campaign. This brought him his first Silver Slugger Award at the end of the season.

d’Arnaud hasn’t been able to replicate this form in 2021 as thumb injury limited him to just 28 games. He has shown signs of returning to form, however, hitting two homers in the last five games.

The post Catcher Travis d’Arnaud Staying With Braves Till 2023 appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Acuna suffered the injury during Atlanta’s 5-4 win against the Miami Marlins over the weekend. The 23-year-old player was trying to make a catch in the fifth inning when he landed awkwardly and fell to the ground holding his right knee. He ended up being carted off the field.

On Sunday, Acuna had an MRI that showed the “complete tear of his right ACL”, according to the Braves. He is set to undergo surgery that will likely keep him out of action for this season and possibly the start of the 2022 MLB campaign.

Speaking with reporters after the news broke out, Acuna said that he will put “maximum effort to come back stronger than ever.”

“I think I’m a patient person, and I think that’s going to work in my favor,” he added. “Continue to work hard, trust the process of the rehab. Just continue to work hard. You get out what you put in.”

Ronald Acuna has been playing another great season for Atlanta, compiling a batting average of .283 while adding 24 home runs, 52 RBIs, and 17 stolen bases in 82 games. He was recently selected to the All-Star game for the second time in his career.

The Braves, who made it to the NL Championship Series last season, are currently sitting third in NL East. They are four games behind the leading NY Mets and 0.5 games behind the second Philadelphia Phillies.

The post Braves All-Star OF Ronald Acuna Jr. Out for the Season with Torn ACL appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

The 37-year-old right-hander has made a name for himself in recent years as a star in the clutch. He won Game 7 of the 2017 World Series while playing for the Houston Astros and won Game 7 of the American League Championship Series last season with the Rays.

The Braves were one game away from a World Series berth this season and were short on pitchers for most of the postseason. However, with recently signed free agent Drew Smyly and the addition of Morton, Atlanta might have one of the best rotations in baseball right now, at least on paper.

According to reports from Tampa, the Rays wanted to re-sign Morton, but Atlanta simply offered more money and the Rays were not willing to match. Morton was originally drafted by the Braves in 2002 and made his first professional start with them in 2008.

Over the last two seasons in Tampa, Morton went 18-8 with a 3.33 ERA. Coaches have also praised Morton for his willingness and ability to work with and help in the development of younger pitchers on the staff.

The post Atlanta Braves Sign Pitcher Charlie Morton to One-year, $15 Million Deal appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

The 2020 MLB season was a very different one because of the COVID-19 pandemic shortening the season to 60 games instead of the usual 162. But because of this, anyone who wanted to be considered for MVP honors this year couldn’t afford to go through even the slightest slump.

Freddie Freeman’s performance in Atlanta was particularly impactful because it was clear that the offense was going to have to carry the team after the Braves lost a slew of pitchers to injuries and pandemic-related opt-outs.

Freeman posted a .341 batting average, .462 on-base percentage, and .640 slugging percentage, all career highs. He also had more walks than strikeouts (45 vs. 37) and hit 13 home runs.

Freeman beat out two flashy MLB stars, Los Angeles Dodgers star Mookie Betts and San Diego Padres slugger Manny Macahdo, because of his sheer consistency and his important to his team.

Abreu was similarly recognized for consistency and for his importance to the team. He is the first White Sox to win the MVP award since Frank Thomas took the title in back-to-back seasons in 1993-94.

The post Jose Abreu, Freddie Freeman Named MLB 2020 MVPs appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Acuna got his 40th stolen base in a 4-2 win against the Cleveland Guardians on Monday night. This is already the most he ever had in a single season, matching his previous career high of 37 from the 2019 season. Also, the 25-year-old Acuna Jr. is the only the third player with 20 home runs and 40 steals after 84 games, joining Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson and Cincinnati Reds’ legend Eric Davis.

Acuna is batting .335 for the season and has 21 home runs and 54 RBIs. He has been named the NL Player of the Month for June and was selected to his third consecutive All-Star game.

With Acuna playing at a high level, the Atlanta Braves have been tearing through their recent slate of games. They have won nine straight and currently sit at the top of the NL East with a 57-27 record. Their 57 wins are the most in NL and have them tied with Tampa Bay Rays for most in MLB.

The post Braves Ronald Acuna Jr. Enters the All-Star Break With Historic Statline appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

The deal that landed Murphy in Atlanta also included the Milwaukee Brewers and saw nine players change teams.

As part of the trade, the Braves sent promising catcher William Contreras and reliever Justin Yeager to the Brewers and pitchers Kyle Muller and Freddy Tarnok, catcher Manny Pina and prospect Royber Salinas to Oakland. Meanwhile, the A’s also received outfielder Esteury Ruiz from Milwaukee while sending reliever Joel Payamps in the opposite way.   

The Oakland Athletics have been stripping down their roster for a while now and made it clear to the teams that Sean Murphy is available for the right price. This got a lot of teams circling, given the fact that Murphy was under control for three more years and is widely considered one of the best catchers in baseball. In the end, the Braves were first to pull the trigger, hoping the former-third round pick could raise their ceiling with his premium defense.

“We definitely gave up a ton,” Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos told reporters. “But we got a really good player back. Getting players like that is hard.”

Murphy batted a career-high .250 in 2022 with 18 home runs and 66 RBIs. He has a Gold Glove award on his resume from 2021.

The post Braves Land Star Catcher Sean Murphy From Athletics as Part of 3-Way Trade appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

While the Braves didn’t disclose the financial terms of the agreement, Strider will reportedly get $75 million in the next six years. The deal also gives the Braves a club option for the 2029 MLB season. The option comes with a $22 million salary for Strider and a $5 million buyout.

After the news became official, Strider said that he expects not only to justify Atlanta’s confidence in him but also to outperform his contract.

“My goal is always to outperform any expectations,” Strider said after inking the deal. “There’s nobody that has higher aspirations or expectations for performance than myself. And so in that way, I don’t feel any pressure. The expectation is that I outperform any contract I ever sign.”

Strider is currently out with an oblique muscle strain, but the Braves are reportedly hoping the 23-year-old will be ready for their NLDS clash with the Philadelphia Phillies.

Spencer Strider played 31 games in 2022 in what has been his first full season in the majors. He made 20 starts and finished the campaign with an 11-5 record, 2.67 ERA, and 202 strikeouts. Strider needed only 130 innings to reach the 200 strikeouts mark, which now stands as an MLB record.

The post Braves Sign Rookie RHP Spencer Strider to 6-Year, $75 Million Deal appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

The Braves entered June 10.5 games behind the leading New York Mets and facing long odds to continue their streak. What followed was an impressive stretch that saw Atlanta win 78 games in the following 111 contests, which was the best outing in the whole MLB. They also got the edge in head-to-head record versus the Mets to claim the tiebreaker for the division title.

With the NL East title in their hands and a 101-60 record to show for, the Braves will embark on a quest to defend their World Series title with a first-round playoff bye.

“It’s hard to win one,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said after the Marlins’ game. “To win five is pretty special. It’s a credit to our organization.”

It remains to be seen whether another strong end to the season will translate to playoff success for the Atlanta Braves. The team started the 2021 campaign with a 30-35 record before turning things around and finishing at the top of the NL East with an 88-73 record. They then embarked on an impressive World Series-winning run that saw them needing six or fewer games to eliminate their opponents in each of the three rounds.

The post Atlanta Braves Win 5th Straight NL East after Impressive Season Turnaround appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

During a recent Instagram Live Interview with sports reporter Yancen Pujols, Acuna Jr. said there is “nothing” he misses about Freeman and revealed the two were not on the best of terms.

At one point in the interview, Pujols shifted the topic to Freeman’s exit from the Braves and asked Acuna what he’ll miss about his ex-teammate.

“Me? Nothing”, responded Acuna.

Acuna added that he wasn’t close with Freeman and pointed out to “lots of clashes” they had. He explained that this came “through time” and pointed out negative experiences he had during his rookie season that caused the rift.

Freeman later responded to Acuna’s comments, saying he didn’t believe he was too harsh.

“It’s unfortunate that he viewed it like that, but we were always told, you put on a Braves uniform, you’re supposed to act a little differently, hold yourself a little differently. And I just tried to uphold those rules as good as I could,” Freeman explained.

With Freeman out, Ronald Acuna Jr. will most likely be the face of the Braves franchise in years to come. The 24-year-old player had two All-Star appearances in the past three years while also making the All-MLB Second Team twice. Acuna is currently recovering from an ACL injury he suffered midway through the 2021 MLB season.

The post Braves’ Ronald Acuna Jr. Misses “Nothing” About Ex-Teammate Freddie Freeman appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

The Braves were twice behind but responded each time and managed to make it 4-4 by the bottom of the fifth. After a scoreless two innings, Freeman took the stage and hit a solo homer off a pitch from the Brewers’ All-Star Josh Hader in the bottom of the eighth.

With a 5-4 lead in hand, Atlanta sent out closer Will Smith to finish the job, and the celebration could start.

As ESPN points out, Freeman’s homer was the first in the Braves’ history that came in the eighth inning or later and secured a win in a postseason series. It was also the first time that Hader allowed a home run in the playoffs.

“I’ve had a lot of cool moments in my career, but so far I think that’s going to top them right there,” Freeman told reporters after the game. “But hopefully that’s not the last cool one.”

The Braves now get a do-over after they were eliminated in 2020’s NLCS by the Los Angeles Dodgers in seven games. They will face the Dodgers again on Saturday night.

The Brewers, on the other hand, end their postseason run earlier than they have envisioned after winning NL Central with 95 wins.

The post Freddie Freeman’s Homer Sends Braves to NLCS appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

The Braves confirmed the deal on their social media on Friday.

While the Braves did not disclose the financial terms of the agreement, ESPN reports that d’Arnaud will earn $16 million in 2022 and 2023 combined. The team will also have an option to extend his deal for one additional year at the price of $8 million.

Speaking with reporters about his new deal, d’Arnaud said that he wasn’t interested in testing free agency and had his eyes on the long-term stay in Atlanta for some time now.

“It’s such a great environment, great atmosphere,” said d’Arnaud. “The city’s welcomed me and my family with open arms.”

Travis d’Arnaud joined the Braves in 2020 as a free agent, inking an almost identical two-year, $16 million deal. He had an impressive outing in his first year with the team, batting career-high .321 with nine home runs and 34 RBIs during a shortened MLB campaign. This brought him his first Silver Slugger Award at the end of the season.

d’Arnaud hasn’t been able to replicate this form in 2021 as thumb injury limited him to just 28 games. He has shown signs of returning to form, however, hitting two homers in the last five games.

The post Catcher Travis d’Arnaud Staying With Braves Till 2023 appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Acuna suffered the injury during Atlanta’s 5-4 win against the Miami Marlins over the weekend. The 23-year-old player was trying to make a catch in the fifth inning when he landed awkwardly and fell to the ground holding his right knee. He ended up being carted off the field.

On Sunday, Acuna had an MRI that showed the “complete tear of his right ACL”, according to the Braves. He is set to undergo surgery that will likely keep him out of action for this season and possibly the start of the 2022 MLB campaign.

Speaking with reporters after the news broke out, Acuna said that he will put “maximum effort to come back stronger than ever.”

“I think I’m a patient person, and I think that’s going to work in my favor,” he added. “Continue to work hard, trust the process of the rehab. Just continue to work hard. You get out what you put in.”

Ronald Acuna has been playing another great season for Atlanta, compiling a batting average of .283 while adding 24 home runs, 52 RBIs, and 17 stolen bases in 82 games. He was recently selected to the All-Star game for the second time in his career.

The Braves, who made it to the NL Championship Series last season, are currently sitting third in NL East. They are four games behind the leading NY Mets and 0.5 games behind the second Philadelphia Phillies.

The post Braves All-Star OF Ronald Acuna Jr. Out for the Season with Torn ACL appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

The 37-year-old right-hander has made a name for himself in recent years as a star in the clutch. He won Game 7 of the 2017 World Series while playing for the Houston Astros and won Game 7 of the American League Championship Series last season with the Rays.

The Braves were one game away from a World Series berth this season and were short on pitchers for most of the postseason. However, with recently signed free agent Drew Smyly and the addition of Morton, Atlanta might have one of the best rotations in baseball right now, at least on paper.

According to reports from Tampa, the Rays wanted to re-sign Morton, but Atlanta simply offered more money and the Rays were not willing to match. Morton was originally drafted by the Braves in 2002 and made his first professional start with them in 2008.

Over the last two seasons in Tampa, Morton went 18-8 with a 3.33 ERA. Coaches have also praised Morton for his willingness and ability to work with and help in the development of younger pitchers on the staff.

The post Atlanta Braves Sign Pitcher Charlie Morton to One-year, $15 Million Deal appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

The 2020 MLB season was a very different one because of the COVID-19 pandemic shortening the season to 60 games instead of the usual 162. But because of this, anyone who wanted to be considered for MVP honors this year couldn’t afford to go through even the slightest slump.

Freddie Freeman’s performance in Atlanta was particularly impactful because it was clear that the offense was going to have to carry the team after the Braves lost a slew of pitchers to injuries and pandemic-related opt-outs.

Freeman posted a .341 batting average, .462 on-base percentage, and .640 slugging percentage, all career highs. He also had more walks than strikeouts (45 vs. 37) and hit 13 home runs.

Freeman beat out two flashy MLB stars, Los Angeles Dodgers star Mookie Betts and San Diego Padres slugger Manny Macahdo, because of his sheer consistency and his important to his team.

Abreu was similarly recognized for consistency and for his importance to the team. He is the first White Sox to win the MVP award since Frank Thomas took the title in back-to-back seasons in 1993-94.

The post Jose Abreu, Freddie Freeman Named MLB 2020 MVPs appeared first on yoursportspot.com.