Absurd Braves stat should get Alex Anthopoulos on the phone immediately

The Atlanta Braves began the season with a hot streak. By the beginning of May, they were the proud owners of a 20-9 record.

Then, the losses began to pile up. Atlanta was swept by Shohei Ohtani and Co. in a three-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, then had a four-game losing streak against the Chicago Cubs and San Diego Padres. In June, the Braves stumbled into a five-game losing streak against the Washington Nationals and Baltimore Orioles.

In early July, the Braves find themselves with a 46-37 record, nine games behind the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League East. With the Phillies holding the best record in Major League Baseball, the Braves are currently in the driver's seat for the top wild card spot in the National League.

While Atlanta's early success has kept their postseason hopes alive, their recent struggles have revealed some troubling signs.

An alarming stat depicts the Braves offensive struggles

The Braves have lost 26 consecutive games in which their opponent scored three or more runs, according to Stephen Tolbert of Battery Power.

Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos should attempt to bolster the roster before the trade deadline on July 30. While the Braves have been linked to potential trades for a pitcher, they need to find a way to add some consistency to their offense.

Atlanta's batting took a hit with the loss of Ronald Acuña Jr., who suffered a complete tear in his left anterior cruciate ligament in May. It's likely not a coincidence that began to struggle scoring runs once they lost their star slugger.

With fewer runs scored, there's been mounting pressure on Atlanta's pitchers to keep their opponent from tallying runs. That's no easy task for a starting rotation that has been decimated by injuries. The Braves lost ace Spencer Strider to a season-ending right ulnar collateral ligament injury in April.

“It’s been tough to get a big hit,” manager Brian Snitker said after a 4-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates on June 30. The Braves hitters went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position during the loss.

Last season, the Braves led all teams in batting average (.276) and OPS (.845). In 2024, they've plummeted to 16th in batting average (.242) and 14th in OPS (.709).

“It’s the frustrating part, because of what the guys are capable of,” Snitker said. “Just can’t quite put it together for an extended period where it just flows.”

The Braves have scored just 13 runs in the last seven days, second-fewest in the National League. Their 44 runs in the last 15 days are tied for fourth-fewest in the NL. In the last three games, the Braves averaged just 2.33 runs per game in their last three games, second-fewest in Major League Baseball. Only the Seattle Mariners scored fewer runs (1.33) than the Braves in their past three games.

The Braves have scored more than three runs in only 10 of their last 28 games, and they haven't scored more than three runs in consecutive games in their past 10 games.