Braves’ Matt Olson takes a defiant stance against his $73 million All-Star teammate.
In 2024, the Atlanta Braves advanced to the playoffs for the seventh consecutive year, but were eliminated in the Wild Card round. Matt Olson and his team recognize the need for additional resources to achieve their goals by 2025.
But Olson cannot do it alone. Players like catcher Sean Murphy must rise up and live up to their contracts. According to Mark Bowman of MLB.com, Olson is confident in Murphy’s ability to rebound from a bad year.
“He’s just an all-around guy,” Olson said of Murphy. “He plays defense, knows how to call a game, and can hit. He’s the kind of guy that you feel comfortable with leading the pitching staff; he’s got a good mentality to him; he’s a smart guy. That’s what you need back there.”
“One bad year doesn’t erase all that,” Murphy concluded.
Still, there’s no doubting that Murphy’s 2024 campaign was disappointing. Over 72 games, the backstop hit .193 with 10 home runs and 25 RBIs. An oblique injury held him out to start the year, which Murphy admits limited his game.
“It was a combination of a bunch of things. Missing that much time at the beginning, that’s not how I wanted to begin the season,” Murphy admitted. “I’m not sure my swing ever felt correct coming off the oblique, not that I was in any pain or hurt.
“Some things just felt off, and I never caught up and found a way to adjust. That’s on me. I should be able to adjust quicker than that.”
The National League East is projected to be a fierce contest in 2025. If the Braves want to win the division, Matt Olson and his team will need Sean Murphy to be at his peak.
