Who Leads the Atlanta Braves in Home Runs This Season?
The Atlanta Braves should have another great offense in 2024.
Just one year removed from tying the all-time MLB record with 307 homers in a single season and being the first roster to finish with a team slugging percentage of over .500, the Braves didn't make many changes to the lineup. The only substantial change was replacing the left field platoon of Eddie Rosario and Kevin Pillar with trade acquisition Jarred Kelenic, who is expected to be the everyday left fielder for 2024.
And, it turns out, that could potentially impact who leads the team in homers for 2024.
Writing for MLB.com, reporter Brent Maguire predicted who would lead each team in homers for the entire league, but he also gave a "dark horse" to take the crown...and that's where things get interesting.
For his Atlanta prediction, it's easy to see why you'd pick first baseman Matt Olson to repeat as the team's homer leader. Hitting 54 home runs in 2023, Olson not only led all of baseball but actually set the team's single-season mark, as well, passing Andruw Jones' 2001 season where he hit 51.
Maguire, obviously, goes with Olson, pointing out an interesting stat about his homer-hitting prowess over the last few years:
Since 2021, Olson's 127 home runs trail only (Yankees outfielder Aaron) Judge's 138 homers and the lefty slugger should approach 40 yet again in '24.
And Olson's 127 homers include a "down" year in 2022, his first in Atlanta, where he hit "only" 34 homers as he adjusted to his new team and city.
But Maguire's "dark horse" pick should probably get a lot more attention, because it's rather interesting.
Maguire names Jarred Kelenic as a dark horse in this same article, arguing that the former top prospect "might benefit from a change of scenery to one of baseball's top lineups."
As much as we want to believe that Kelenic will have a better offensive year - and we absolutely do, for the record - contending for the team lead in homers would be outside ever our most lofty expectations for the former Mets and Seattle prospect that's now entering his third season in the majors.
But if it happens? This could go from a generationally great power-hitting lineup to one of the best of all time.