The Atlanta Braves have good reason to think that in 2024, their batting order will produce more.
It’s not easy being an Atlanta Braves player.
Although the brand is historic and has high expectations, there is something else about it that isn’t as well-known: the atmosphere.
Sean Murphy, catcher for the Braves and an offseason addition, talked about the Atlanta weather at BravesFest and said that it has impacted him occasionally this season.
“My first summer, I gained a lot of knowledge. Murphy stated, “Obviously, I’ve never played every day in this kind of heat,” as originally reported by Battery Power’s Kris Willis. “The strength and conditioning team does an excellent job of keeping us hydrated and prepared for action. Those folks are on top of what we need to accomplish. Yes, those folks handled all of stuff on our behalf. Hopefully, I remained well for the majority of the year. There was undoubtedly a small hiccup in the middle, but I’ll just try again.
Murphy’s season average of.251/.365/.478 with 21 home runs was respectable, but the catcher’s play was uneven. He opened the season with 17 home runs and a.306/.400/.599 line in 67 games, including a run of nearly constant play when Travis d’Arnaud was out due to a concussion.
However, Murphy’s output decreased in the second part of the year as the heat and humidity increased. Murphy’s line after the All-Star Break was.159/.310/.275 with just four home runs and eight total extra base hits. Murphy may have been referring to a minor hamstring strain when he talked about the “speed bump in the middle” of the season, but there are mitigating circumstances, and it wouldn’t be shocking if the weather had a big impact on his difficulties.
According to WeatherSpark, the average daily high in Oakland, where Murphy spent his first four seasons, is just 71 degrees from June 7–October 19, with humidity seldom rising beyond 50%. In comparison, Atlanta is essentially a sauna, with summertime highs of 88 degrees and humidity as high as 86%.
We observed last season that the weather also caused problems for other players. Max Fried, the starting pitcher, had a buzz cut when he returned to the team in August after missing more than two months due to a forearm strain. While on the disabled list, he was unable to adjust to throwing in the heat.
But it makes sense that Murphy will be more equipped for the physical strain needed to not just survive but flourish during the sweltering summer months, in line with Brian Snitker’s remarks on starting pitcher Bryce Elder being more ready for the demands of a complete season.
