Braves player admits he had trouble with the Atlanta heat in the previous campaign
The Atlanta Braves have good reason to think that in 2024, their batting order will produce more.
It’s not easy being an Atlanta Braves player.
Although the franchise is historic and has high expectations, there is something else about it that isn’t as well-known: the atmosphere.
Sean Murphy, catcher for the Braves and an offseason addition, talked about the Atlanta weather at BravesFest and acknowledged that it has bothered him occasionally this season.
“My first summer, I gained a lot of knowledge. Murphy stated, “Obviously, I’ve never played every day in this kind of heat,” as originally reported by Battery Power’s Kris Willis. “The strength and training staff does an excellent job of keeping us hydrated and prepared for action. Those guys are on top of everything we need to do. Yes, those guys handled all of that on our behalf. Hopefully, I remained well for the majority of the year. There was undoubtedly a small hiccup in the middle, but I’ll just try again.
Murphy’s season average of.251/.365/.478 with 21 home runs was respectable, but the catcher’s play was uneven. He opened the season with 17 home runs and a.306/.400/.599 line in 67 games, including a run of nearly constant play while Travis d’Arnaud was sidelined due to a concussion.
However, Murphy’s output decreased in the second half of the year as the heat and humidity increased. Murphy’s line after the All-Star Break was.159/.310/.275 with just four home runs and eight total extra base hits. Murphy may have been referring to a minor hamstring strain when he talked about the “speed bump in the middle” of the season, but there are extenuating circumstances, and it wouldn’t be shocking if the weather had a big impact on his difficulties.
While the average high temperature in Oakland, where Murphy spent his first four seasons, is only 71 degrees on June 7 through October 19 (Humidity rarely rises above 50%), Atlanta is practically a sauna in the middle of summer, with an average high temperature of 88 degrees and high humidity of up to 86%.
We saw last season that the weather also caused problems for other players. Max Fried, the starting pitcher, suffered a buzz cut when he returned to the team in August after missing more than two months due to a forearm strain. While on the injured list, he was unable to adjust to pitching in the heat.
But it makes sense that Murphy will be better prepared for the physical strain needed to not only survive but thrive through the sweltering summer months, in line with Brian Snitker’s remarks regarding starting pitcher Bryce Elder being more ready for the demands of a full season.
