The 2024 series on team offense begins with the Atlanta Braves. The Braves finished first in the Majors in 2023 with 5.85 runs scored per game.
This season I am using FanGraphs Roster Resource Depth Charts* as the source of default lineups. That Brian Snitker batting order is plugged into the Lineup Analysis Tool (LAT) using Musings Marcels as the batter projections. That information produces the following results (Runs per game):
- Best lineup: 5.47
- Probable lineup: 5.42
- Worst lineup: 5.15
- Regressed lineup: 4.87
The Braves nail the lineup by getting the 8-9-1 turn correct, with Jarred Kelenic, Orlando Arcia, and Ronald Acuna Jr. making the turn. The rest of the offensive players are so good the rest of the order doesn’t matter much. For example in the top 30 lineups, Michael Harris II appears in every slot but the sixth, his slot in the default lineup.
Atlanta still fields a young lineup. Marcell Ozuna is the only player over 30 as of today, although Matt Olson will play 2024 as a 30-year-old. Everyone else is in their prime or approaching their prime years. There is probably more upside in the projections than downside. Atlanta gets huge points for both assembling a young, talented offense and deploying the players well in the lineup.
It will be difficult to shut down these batters, an opposing pitcher doesn’t get much rest going through this order.
You can follow the data for the series in this Google spreadsheet.
Previous posts in this series:
*This is the best source of roster information I’ve seen, with everything on one page.