If Eddie Rosario and these two other Atlanta Braves players improve going forward, this title-contending team will be even tougher to beat than it already is right now.
The Atlanta Braves still haven't seen the best baseball out of the likes of Eddie Rosario this year.
Rosario is in the midst of his second full season with the Braves. He may be up and down at the plate, and will make questionable decisions in left field far too often. However, Atlanta doesn't win the 2021 World Series without his NLCS MVP performance vs. the Los Angeles Dodgers. Rosario will always be beloved by Braves Country for what he did to help Atlanta capture the NL pennant.
Along with Rosario, here are two other Braves who could be even better as the season progresses.
Atlanta Braves: Eddie Rosario and two other stars who can improve this season
Eddie Rosario can take even more pressure off the Atlanta outfield with his play
Admittedly, I'm not too worried about seeing Rosario become an All-Star-level player in a Braves uniform. However, I do think there will come a time in September, or potentially in October, where Rosario will have to rise to the occasion. Although Ronald Acuña Jr. is playing at an MVP level this season, he will hit a slump at some point. This is baseball after all. Also, Rosario is a professional.
Seeing Marcell Ozuna flourish at the plate for the better part of two months now has taken some pressure off Rosario to be a power bat from the left-hand side. He may be in somewhat of a platoon with Sam Hilliard and Kevin Pillar as more-than-capable outfielders, but Braves Country does need to see Rosario go on a tear here sooner rather than later, just like back in October 2021.
This is all about taking pressure off Acuña and Michael Harris II in the field, as well as Ozuna and others at the plate. Although he has played better of late to some extent, we are not seeing the star player he once was for the Minnesota Twins on a regular basis, or near enough to Braves fans' liking. Either way, he is still a good player on an outstanding team. We are hoping to see a bit more.
Look for Rosario to feed off his teammates' energy and tap into that clutch gene he already has.
Michael Harris II is starting to turn the corner after a rough start to year two
Last year's NL Rookie of the Year Michael Harris II had a very rough first two months of the campaign. A back injury popped up during the Braves' early-season series vs. the San Diego Padres. After a lengthy stint on IL, Harris returned to the starting lineup, but struggled mightily at the plate. He may finally be getting his timing down, but Atlanta needs his bat to help carry them.
The good news is Harris continues to play fantastic defense in centerfield, taking some of the pressure of Eddie Rosario in left and Ronald Acuña Jr. in right. The bad news is up until recently, he had a miserable time of getting on base. Like Acuña, he is lightning fast on the base path. We know he has a powerful stroke from the left side of the plate too, but he has to get on base more.
Frankly, many of Alex Anthopoulos' early extension candidates from the last few years have struggled to live up to the hype of the contract, namely Harris and third baseman Austin Riley. While they have certainly been able to make an impact defensively and occasionally at the plate, we are all wanting to see Money Mike go more Sawry Not Sawry on the teams the Braves face.
Having him on base with Acuña in the batter's box must be an opposing pitcher's worst nightmare.
AJ Minter needs to re-emerge as a cornerstone of the Atlanta bullpen already
Kind of more in the vein of Michael Harris II, we have seen signs of more positive things to come out of AJ Minter in the Atlanta bullpen. However, relief pitching remains one of the team's biggest weaknesses. Although Raisel Iglesias is making Braves fans as uncomfortable as Kenley Jansen did last year and Will Smith did during the World Series campaign, Minter is the elder statesman.
Admittedly, I do appreciate the fact he has been thrust into more difficult situations than he has been accustomed to in recent years with the Braves. At his peak, he is an elite seventh-inning guy, helping shorten the game in which the Braves are leading. With Iglesias having had to work his way back from injury at the start of the season, it was on Minter's shoulders to close out games.
Once Minter gets put back into situations he is well-versed in, the better he may pitch. Of course, Atlanta needs to aggressively address bullpen issues before the trade deadline. All it takes is one injury for the whole set-up to be out of sorts. Regardless, it is hard to see the Braves' bullpen succeeding long-term this season if Minter does not pitch up to his standard. He has to improve.
With Jesse Chavez going on IL, even more pressure mounts for Minter, and Collin McHugh, now.