It’s hard to find too much to gripe about with the 2026 Atlanta Braves through 42 games.
At the plate, they lead the majors in batting average (.272), slugging percentage (.452), wOBA (.347), wRC+ (121), and have scored the most runs of any team (233).
On the mound and with the gloves, they’re tops in runs allowed (143) and defensive efficiency (.249 BABIP-against), fifth in defensive value, while also tied for second in quality starts (20). Though the pitching has had some ups and downs, the defense
has buoyed it, and they’re in the top half of MLB in FIP and xFIP.
There’s only been one real glaring issue through the first quarter of the season. There’s been an undeniable spike in baserunners being picked off under new first base coach Antoan Richardson.
With two more pickoffs in Tuesday night’s 5-2 win over the Chicago Cubs, the Braves have been picked off 10 times this season. That’s two more than any other major league team.
It’s also already as many pickoffs as the Braves had on the bases in all 162 games last season and more than they had in three of their four entire seasons between 2021-24.
It would seem that Braves manager Walt Weiss has seen enough of the new way the Braves are trying to be aggressive on the basepaths.
“To be honest, it’s gotten to a point where we’re going to have to make an adjustment there. I don’t think it’s costing us games, but it just shouldn’t happen at this rate,” Weiss said postgame Tuesday. “I know we’re trying to do some things different, and the guys are working their butts off trying to be really good at it. Antoan has been awesome. He’s got passion, he’s accountable. That’s just something we’ve got to clean up.”
While Weiss can say none of the pickoffs have cost them games — and it’s clearly not stopping the Braves’ winning ways — these issues have come up in some critical spots.
Most notably, pinch-runner Jorge Mateo was picked off when he represented the tying run in the eighth inning of the rubber match at Seattle, which remains the only series the Braves have lost this season.
The new baserunning belief has paid dividends in some ways. The Braves are tied for fourth in the majors in bases taken (46) and have only run into six outs on the bases (fourth fewest), a stat that doesn’t count pickoffs. They’re 11th in Statcast’s baserunning measure (which does not include steals, steal attempts, or pickoffs), after finishing handily in the bottom ten each of the last two seasons (and sixth in 2023).
But it’s not even like the team is stealing bases at a crazy rate. Atlanta’s 21 stolen bases rank 21st in the majors and the Braves’ 67.74% stolen-base percentage is the worst in the majors. In pure stolen base value, the Braves are also dead last; when you add stolen base and baserunning value together, they’re 22nd.
So if the upside of stolen bases isn’t going to be there with this team — which it likely doesn’t need to be given its slugging — the risk of getting picked off shouldn’t be nearly that serious… or common.
Alternatively, if they’re going to have this aggressive approach, they need to at least be a bit more selective about who uses it. Look at Tuesday’s two pickoffs as proof. Michael Harris II, given his speed, may be justified in risking an aggressive baserunning approach, even if it sometimes ends up with him picked off. Matt Olson — he of the ten career stolen bases in 11 seasons — simply shouldn’t be risking outs by doing whatever he was doing on Tuesday night.
On the one hand, it’s a good sign that pickoffs are one of the few things Braves fans have to lament this season. On the other hand, there’s just no reason for it to be this bad, this often. Hopefully they follow their skipper’s direction and clean it up soon.
