ATLANTA -- This has been a rough stretch for the Braves, who watched Hurston Waldrep endure his first subpar start of the year in an 11-3 loss to the Astros on Friday night at Truist Park.
The Braves (65-82) have lost 10 of their past 14 games, and this latest setback secured their first losing season since 2017. Here are five things to watch over the final 15 games:
1. Strong finish
Ronald Acuña Jr. distanced himself from his recent struggles when he displayed his strong arm and powerful swing in Friday’s lopsided loss.
Acuña raced toward the right-field corner, stopped, pivoted and still uncorked a 92.9 mph throw that denied Victor Caratini’s bid for a double in the second inning. He later highlighted just his second multihit game of the month with his first home run since Aug. 22. The homer drought lasted 60 at-bats.
When Acuña returned from last year’s left knee surgery in May, he played well enough over the next few weeks to be elected a National League All-Star. But his return from a right calf strain suffered on July 30 hadn’t been as smooth. Acuña entered Friday having hit .193 with a .581 OPS in the 24 games he had played since being activated from the injured list on Aug. 15.
“Last week, there were a couple of times where you just saw him have a bounce in his step and feeling good,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “So, you know, be great to get him on a roll.”
2. Kim’s future
Ha-Seong Kim has gone 7-for-31 (.226) with one home run since the Braves claimed him off waivers from the Rays on Sept. 1. The 2023 NL Gold Glove Award winner’s performance over the final couple of weeks could influence his value on the trade market.
The expectation around baseball has been that Kim will not exercise his $16 million player option for next season and become arguably the most attractive shortstop on the free-agent market. The Blue Jays’ Bo Bichette will be a free agent, but his defensive struggles create reason to question whether he should be deemed a shortstop, especially long term.
Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos could attempt to give Kim a multi-year deal before the 29-year-old hits the free-agent market. Or the Braves could just become one of the bidders if the shortstop becomes a free agent.
The Braves are paying Kim approximately $2 million to be with them for the season’s final month. This is essentially a recruiting visit that reunites the shortstop with his good friend Jurickson Profar and also gives him a chance to get a feel for both the team and the city of Atlanta.
“Had he been with the Rays and opted out, I can’t tell you we separate ourselves from any other teams he has played for,” Anthopoulos said. “I always believe comfort and familiarity can only help, especially having been here and lived here. I’ve had multiple players tell me how much they love playing here and being here.”
3. Baldwin’s ROY bid
Drake Baldwin was recently deemed the NL Rookie of the Year frontrunner via a poll of MLB.com writers. But having seen the Cubs’ Cade Horton twice since Sept. 3, Braves fans should understand why there isn’t a clear frontrunner.
Baldwin exited an Aug. 9 doubleheader against the Marlins with an .835 OPS. But he has hit .193 with a .561 OPS in the 24 games (83 plate appearances) that have followed. The Braves’ backstop might need a strong finish to hold off Horton, who has a 0.84 ERA in the 10 starts he has made since the All-Star break.
4. Snit’s future
Snitker will spend part of this weekend talking about his future with his son Troy, who is one of the Astros’ hitting coaches. If the Braves’ skipper does opt to retire, this weekend will be the last time he and his son have the unique opportunity to compete against each other at the big league level.
“It’s pretty special every time we do it,” Snitker said.
5. Final record
The Braves need to win eight of their final 15 games to avoid what would be just their fifth 90-loss season going back to the start of the turnaround 1991 season. Their previous ones during this span were 2008, ‘15, ‘16 and ‘17.