The Braves need to improve in one facet of the game moving forward originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Despite injuries proving a massive hurdle at the start of the season, the Atlanta Braves have persevered and are one of the best teams in Major League Baseball. At 28-13, the Braves have built a decent lead over the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League East (nine games) and have the best record in Major League Baseball.
The Braves have gotten healthier, with right-handers Spencer Strider (left oblique) and Raisel Iglesias (shoulder) and catcher Sean Murphy (hip) all returning from the injured list. Even though the Braves are one of the best teams in the game, the one area they need to improve in is running the bases.
The Atlanta Braves need to get better at running the bases moving forward
According to MLB.com's Theo DeRosa, getting better at stealing bases is what the Braves need to focus on. The Braves have stolen 21 bases as a team this season and have been caught 10 times.
"This is admittedly nitpicking for a Braves team off to an all-around excellent start, but Atlanta has had some trouble on the basepaths so far in 2026. The club’s 21-for-31 (67.7%) stolen-base success rate is the second-lowest in the Major Leagues, with Ronald Acuña Jr. caught four times — tied for the most in MLB — and Ozzie Albies and Mauricio Dubón a combined 0-for-5 on steal attempts. The Braves undeniably have speed to go with the contact and power skill in their lineup, but they haven’t been picking the best spots to run this season."
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Sadly for the Braves, outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. is on the shelf with a Grade 1 hamstring strain and has not been the same base stealer after having surgery on both knees. Since stealing 73 bases (caught 14 times), Acuna Jr. has stolen 32 bases between 2024 and 2026.
Acuna is the Braves' leader in stolen bases (seven), but has been caught a major league-leading four times. Infielder Jorge Mateo is second on the team (four), but is not an everyday player and will likely see his playing time decrease once shortstop Ha-Seong Kim returns from his rehab assignment.
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