The Atlanta Braves have surged back into the race for the National League East thanks in part to a balanced home run attack that runs up and down their lineup.
One statistic shows how the Atlanta Braves are bashing the baseball in 2022
In a tweet from David O’Brien of The Athletic, the writer points out that the Atlanta Braves have had seven different players post 11 home runs or more in 2022. There are only 45 National League players with those kind of power numbers so far this season, showing Atlanta is cornering the power market in the division.
For reference, the New York Mets have just two players with 11 or more homers while the Philadelphia Phillies have three, including Bryce Harper, who is currently on the injured list.
Adam Duvall joined the 11-homer club on Tuesday night, with his two-run shot being one of the key moments in a 4-1 Atlanta win that pulled the Braves within 1.5 games of the Mets in the race for the division lead.
Earlier in the game, Matt Olson added his 14th home run of the season to give the Braves a 2-1 lead, showing that the Braves can win in big games simply with the long ball and solid pitching.
Powerful night at the yard!#ForTheA pic.twitter.com/HKZagwShJc
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) July 13, 2022
Additionally, as O’Brien pointed out, Ozzie Albies and Ronald Acuña Jr., two players who were expected to post big numbers for the Braves this season but have dealt with injuries, are not on the list. Albies had eight homers when he went on the 60-day injured list with a fractured left foot while Acuña Jr. also has eight after making his season debut on April 28 following his return from a torn ACL last season and subsequent rehab.
So who is on the power list with 11 or more homers for the Braves? Austin Riley paces the team with 24, while Marcell Ozuna has 17, Dansby Swanson and Olson have 14, and William Contreras, Travis d’Arnaud, and Duvall each have logged 11.