Throughout the last several years, we have seen great players such as Matt Olson and Austin Riley carry the Atlanta Braves offense at times. When they connect with the baseball, they can hit it a country mile. Defensively, I trust them more than I do most corner infield tandems in the sport. Unfortunately, I find myself getting this awful snag in my brain about them when it comes to October.
I hate to say it, but I am dubious about either Braves corner infield star having that necessary clutch gene to just find a way to win in crunch time. Over the last several weeks, I have seen the Braves play in more than their fair share of tight ballgames late, especially of the extra innings variety. Rookie Drake Baldwin seems to be about those spots. The same thing seems to be true for even Eli White.
While there is still a lot of baseball left to be played, I am afraid over another first-round exit for the Braves in the postseason, mostly because guys like Olson and Riley may not have it in them to step up in a crucial game's critical moment. This has quietly bubbled to the surface in between every lazy pop-up Ozzie Albies hits off his bat like he is doing his greatest Andrelton Simmons impersonation.
If and when the clutch gene presents itself for Olson and Riley, the Braves could be a real contender.
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Braves need Matt Olson and Austin Riley to come through in the clutch
Admittedly, this is a very tall ask for anyone. It is where legends are separated from even the stars of the game. Not every player who has a plaque in Cooperstown even had this trait. Greg Maddux was not built for October, while John Smoltz and Tom Glavine were far better at this in the Atlanta rotation than him. This all comes back to an issue that general manager Alex Anthopoulos greatly overlooked.
When deconstructing the 2021 World Series team, he let one clutch performer walk after another. This is not about Freddie Freeman more than it is Olson coming up in the Oakland Athletics organization. A similar principle applies to catcher Sean Murphy. There is a reason why Baldwin is playing out of his mind as a rookie. The Braves' overlooked farm system prepares its players for this.
While that could explain Olson's great, but frustrating game, Riley's case is a bit different. It was not that long ago that there was a great debate over who Atlanta's third baseman of the future was between Riley and Johan Camargo. Thank goodness Riley won out. Yes, he has had his big moments for the Braves, but Anthopoulos has elevated him into a role that he is still largely trying to grow into.
To tie a bow on this, Atlanta may only go as far in the postseason as Olson and Riley's bat takes them. Not to say this is a constraint or even a bottleneck, but their increased production at the plate will do wonders for the entire offensive system. Other areas of the team need to improve, but these guys finding themselves in this next stage of their careers will decide if Atlanta wins another World Series.
Getting the right matchup is important, but taking advantage in a huge spot is even more crucial.