The Atlanta Braves are currently in first place with two months of the 2023 season in the books.

How the 2023 Team is Similar to the 2013 Team

After finishing April of 2023 with an 18-9 record, they went a somewhat disappointing 15-14 in the month of May. In reality, it’s not a terrible month. A good baseball season usually means a handful of hot stretches and a bunch of .500 baseball in between. A winning record for the month is never a bad thing.

Just a quick example: in 2013, Atlanta won 96 games and the NL East Title. They started the season similar to the 2023 team with a smoking hot April going 17-9. They had a .523 winning percentage the rest of the season.

• The 2023 version of the Braves went 15-14 in May.
• The 2013 version of the Braves went 15-13 in May.
• The 2023 version of the Braves finished May with a total record of 33-23.
• The 2013 version of the Braves finished May with a total record of 33-22.
• The 2013 Braves won 96 games and the NL East.

Atlanta Braves May 2023 Home Run Leaders

1. Marcell Ozuna (9 HRs): Ozuna had an incredible resurgence in May after an April to-be-forgotten. It was so forgettable that it was memorable. Ozuna hit just .085 with a .397 OPS in April while fans rained boos down upon his bald head every time he approached the plate. Opposing fans were happy to see his green sleeve approach the plate because he was basically an automatic out. Ozuna never gave up. At the end of April, Ozuna made an adjustment after hitting a ball to the opposite field. He had an epiphany. He got a hit in the final game of April to get his batting average just above the legal limit (.085). In May, he resembled the player the fans fell in love with in 2020.
2. Matt Olson (9 HRs): Olson is having a wonderful second season with Atlanta. He has a 137 OPS+ on the season and not only is he tied for the team lead in May homers, he is tied for third in all of baseball with 17 homers on the season.
3. Ronald Acuna Jr. (7 HRs): Acuna Jr. hit seven of his 11 homers in May. His seven homers is the most Acuna has hit in a month since he blasted eight in May of 2021.

Atlanta Braves May 2023 Starting Pitcher ERA Leaders

1. Bryce Elder (1.72 ERA): The youngster continues to pitch like an elder statesman. Elder has been one of the best pitchers in all of baseball since September of last year. He continued his dominance in May by allowing just seven earned runs in six starts. Elder posted a 30:10 strikeout to walk ratio on the month. What a gift he has been to the rotation as they deal with the losses of Max Fried and Kyle Wright.
2. Jared Shuster (3.68 ERA): Raise your hand if you thought Jared Shuster and Bryce Elder would lead all Atlanta starting pitchers in ERA for the month of May. Shuster was called back up after Fried and Wright were placed on the IL and appears to have put some things together this time around. He has played a key role in helping the team finish May with another winning month.

Atlanta Braves May 2023 Batting Average Leaders

1. Sean Murphy (.313 BA)
2. Orlando Arcia (.303 BA): Everyone had Arcia pegged as the clear answer at shortstop to begin the season, right?
3. Ronald Acuna Jr. (.298 BA): MVP! MVP! MVP!
4. Marcell Ozuna (.297 BA): Comeback Player of the Year? We’ll see…
5. Austin Riley (.271 BA): His stats are balancing out to offset a slow start.

Atlanta Braves May 2023 OBP Leaders

1. Sean Murphy (.400 OBP)
2. Ronald Acuna Jr. (.372 OBP)
3. Marcell Ozuna (.360 OBP)
4. Orlando Arcia (.354 OBP)
5. Matt Olson (.346 OBP)

Atlanta Braves 2023 Defensive Runs Saved Leaders Through May

This stat reflects defensive runs saved from the beginning of the season through the month of May. Click here for more information on how defensive runs saved work.

1. Ronald Acuna Jr. (4 DRS)
2. Sean Murphy (3 DRS)
3. Orlando Arcia (3 DRS)
4. Michael Harris II (2 DRS)