ATLANTA — This week, on the Locked On Braves podcast, host Jake Mastroianni was asked to rank his Top Five Braves players by his listeners.
Before he told the audience his picks, he discussed how good the Braves were and that the squad has as many as seven All-Star caliber players who will be playing in 2023 which he says should make the fans excited for this upcoming season.
Last season, following their 2021 World Series title, the Braves once again finished first in the NL East before falling to the Phillies in the NLDS. They'll look to make it six-straight NL East titles in 2023, hoping to make it back to the World Series.
Jake's Top 5 Braves Players For 2023
1. Ronald Acuña Jr.
At number one is Ronald Acuña Jr. who is probably at the top (or near the top) of most Braves fans’ lists. Mastroianni said about Acuña Jr., “I still think he’s the best player on the team and I’m assuming he’s going to be back and be healthy.” Mastroianni added, “He’s an MVP-level talent, what he gives you offensively, what he can do defensively, when healthy.” Acuña Jr. had health issues in 2022 and started the season late, only playing in 119 games. He still managed to bat .266/.351/.413 with 15 home runs and 50 runs batted in.
2. Spencer Strider
Next on the list is Spencer Strider. Strider finished second in National League Rookie of the Year voting in 2022 behind his teammate Michael Harris. Mastroianni believes Strider could be an impact pitcher for the Braves going as far as saying, “I think he has potential to win a Cy Young as early as 2023.”
Strider appeared in 31 games and made 20 starts for the Braves finishing 11-5 with a 2.67 ERA in 131 ⅔ innings. He had an impressive 202 strikeouts and only 45 walks and as Mastroianni said on the show, “He is must-watch TV whenever he is on the mound.”
3. Michael Harris
Third for Mastroianni is the aforementioned Rookie of the Year, Michael Harris. Harris had a tremendous rookie year batting .297/.339/.514 with 19 home runs and 64 runs batted in. He played in 114 games and along with his Rookie of the Year award, he also picked up some MVP votes and finished 13th.
Mastroianni thinks Harris’s ability to play well both defensively and offensively makes him entertaining to watch as a fan. He’s also young—he’s turning 22 in March—so if Harris is this good now, what will he be like in a few years when he hits his prime?
4. Max Fried
Max Fried is number four for Mastroianni and he mentions how some people are leaving Fried off their own lists entirely. Mastroianni explains how he enjoys watching Fried work and that it might not be for everyone. Fried, who finished second in the National League Cy Young vote behind Sandy Alcantara in 2022, went 14-7 with a 2.48 ERA in 185 and ⅓ innings of work.
Fried isn’t a hard-throwing pitcher—his fastball averages around 94 mph, but he gets guys to chase the ball and induces weak contact with his slider. Mastroianni even compared Fried to Strider saying how Strider is a more powerful pitcher but Fried really works on a hitter to get them out.
5. Matt Olson
And finally rounding the Top 5 is Matt Olson. Mastroianni admits it was a toss-up between Olson and Austin Riley but he ultimately went with Olson just because he had to pick someone for number five and he was going by who he enjoyed watching play the most on the team.
Olson, who came over to the Braves in the big trade of March 2022, had a pretty good season in his first year in Atlanta. He played in all 162 games (he also did it in 2018 with the A’s), hit 34 home runs and he drove in 103 runs.