Atlanta Braves fans react to team making MLB history with no sacrifice hits in the first half of 2022 and 2023 seasons: "Bunting is overrated"
Last year, the Atlanta Braves became the first team in MLB history to have no sacrifice hits in the first half of a season. This year, they did it again.
Before the All-Star break, the Braves won eight of their last 10 games to surge past the Tampa Bay Rays for MLB's best record at 60-29.
Only two teams in all of MLB history have had zero sacrifice hits in the entire first half of a regular season...
The 2022 Atlanta Braves and the 2023 Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves lead baseball with 169 home runs, a .492 slugging percentage and an .831 on-base-plus-slugging percentage. The team is second with a .339 on-base percentage and .274 batting average, as well as third with 828 hits, 480 RBIs and 499 runs.
@CodifyBaseball Bunting is overrated and useless. You have 27 outs. Don't give outs away.
@CodifyBaseball Why take the bat out of anyone’s hand, that could hit a home run! I don’t mind this stat, when the team is hitting .300 and most home runs before the all star break
@CodifyBaseball Why give away at an bat? Braves don't have any hitters 1-9 that need to try a 50/50 bunt.
For clarification, a sacrifice hit refers to sacrifice bunts, not sacrifice fly balls. The Atlanta Braves are 20th in MLB with an average of 0.24 sacrifice flies per game.
Last season, the Braves did not log their first sacrifice hit until the second-to-last game of the season when outfielder Michael Harris II laid down a bunt in Game 161 against the Miami Marlins. A total of 160 games without a sacrifice hit is an MLB record that this year's Atlanta squad may look to break.
@CodifyBaseball Daddy hacks only. Bunting is for the birds
@CodifyBaseball why bunt when you can mash baseballs @BrettSilas1 @a_monroe11
@CodifyBaseball That’s because we have an American league lineup now, but we’re forced to play in the national league since the 1800s
As for the Braves, the team is the odds-on favorite to represent the National League in the World Series. A possible preview of the fall classic took place in the final series before the All-Star break as the Braves took two out of three games against the Rays in Tampa.
@CodifyBaseball @YankeeSource They don't need to obviously but what an interesting stat
@CodifyBaseball @benlink10 small ball is for the birds
@CodifyBaseball This should prove bunting is bad at the professional level
Atlanta is in the catbird seat in the NL East, leading the second-place Marlins by 8.5 games, the third-place Philadelphia Phillies by 12 games, the New York Mets by 18.5 games and the Washington Nationals by 24.5 games.
The Braves are nine games up on the next-best team in the NL, the Los Angeles Dodgers, who entered the All-Star break at 51-38.
@CodifyBaseball NO BUNTS… NO BUNTING
Atlanta Braves firing on all cylinders
The Braves appear to be a virtual lock to make the playoffs for the sixth concecutive season in 2023. Atlanta has not missed the postseason since going 72-90 in 2017. The team won the 2021 World Series in six games over the Houston Astros.