Stand Out Stats From Early in Atlanta Braves Season

The Atlanta Braves look like a different team compared to last year. They've managed to rekindle their winning ways early, sitting at 11-7 on the year and in first place in the National League East.

Here are some notable stats from early in the season so far. Most trend in a positive direction or simply provide insight into the makeup of the team, but one will reveal that some work still needs to be done.

First to 100 Runs in National League this Season

Scoring runs hasn't been much of an issue for the Atlanta Braves in the early going. The Braves are second in the major leagues behind the Houston Astros (102) in runs scored. Four or more runs have come across for them in 12 of 18 games played.

They've been shut out just once so far compared to thrice in their first 18 games last season. They've slugged 21 home runs, which is the fourth-most in baseball. Even if the three double-digit run nights were removed, they'd still be averaging 3.9 runs per game.

A deeper bench has helped them overcome some slower starts from key mainstays in the lineup. Meanwhile, others have started to return to form, such as Ozzie Albies.

Manager Walt Weiss wasn't always fully satified with how the offense was producing. There were times where they may have been too reliant on the long ball or the big inning. Regardless, they've found a way to succeed offensively.

ABS Hasn't Been as Friendly to Them

The Braves are in a new era of baseball, and they aren't adapting well out of the gate.

According to Codify, they have the second-worst ABS challenge winning percentage in baseball. Their 41% success rate is only better than the Washington Nationals 32%.

It hasn't cost them very much yet, but it's a stat they'd like to see some improvement in. At some point, it's going to be costly that they were out of challenges, and there was a bad call.

Late Arrivals Leading the Way

The plan wasn't to have Dominic Smith or Jorge Mateo on the team at all, let alone be top contributors.

Smith was a late addition in spring training, and it required Jurickson Profar's suspension to open the door to getting a spot. Mateo is in a similar boat. If Ha-Seong Kim didn't require surgery on his finger, he wouldn't be here right now.

Both have looked excellent at the plate in the early going. They're the only two players with OPSs over 1.000 on the roster. Mateo head the highest with a 1.159 OPS, while Smith is not far behind with a 1.099 OPS.

Both have the two highest batting averages (Mateo .438 and Smith .395), and Smith is second to Drake Baldwin for the most RBIs on the team with 15. The bench has been has good as it has been because of them. The Braves may not be in the same spot without them.

Strikeouts Need Not Apply

The Braves lead the major leagues with a 2.93 team ERA. Their 1.09 WHIP and .214 batting average against both the second-best. However, they aren't requiring a lot of strikeouts to get the job done.

The Braves have the 18th most punchouts in the majors, and rank 24th in strikeouts per nine innings (8.04). Two key stats can be attributed to why they've been able to succeed with that being the case.

First, the Braves don't walk many batters. The 50 they have issued are the fourth fewest in baseball. Opponents have also grounded into 20 double plays this season, which is second to the 21 that the Mariners have induced.

Quality command and solid defense have allowed them to be solid pitch-to-contact team. In the modern day, it can still work.

Baserunning is Improving, but Stolen Bases Lag Behind

There have been some improvements on the basepaths since the early headaches. The Braves have successfully stolen eight bases on their last nine attempts. When they do send runnners, things are starting to go their way.

However, their nine stolen bases overall are tied for the fourth fewest in the majors. Outisde of Ronald Acuña Jr., who has four of those stolen bases, not much action is happening. Maybe they'll start to get gutsier now that things are improving, but we'll have to wait and see.

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