Remember last season when the Braves hit home runs at a record pace? Seems like so long ago.
The 2023 Braves hit a major league tying record of 307 home runs over the season.
The 2024 Braves have hit just 94 home runs so far this season (going into Saturday’s game against the Phillies). That’s a pace to hit 177 over the season. That would be 130 fewer home runs year to year.
It’s not just the lack of home runs by the Braves that has caught our attention. So, we did some research. We went back and looked at every home run over the past two seasons. Of the 307 home runs the Braves hit last season, a remarkable 24 traveled 450 feet or more. Of the 94 home runs this season, just one has traveled that distance.
Ronald Acuña Jr., with four home runs before being lost for the season with a torn ACL, had a 461-foot home run on May 10 at the Mets.
That’s right, one. That’s it.
The Braves have come close to a few times. Marcell Ozuna leads the Braves with 22 home runs. He hit one homer of 446 feet (April 12 at Marlins) and two of 442 feet (April 8 at Mets and June 6 at Nationals). Austin Riley hit one of 449 feet (May 3 at Dodgers) and one of 446 feet (April 7 vs. Diamondbacks).
Travis d’Arnuad’s 474-foot home run on June 16, 2023 versus the Rockies was the Braves’ longest of last season. That was tied for the seventh longest in baseball. Interestingly, current Brave and then Mariner Jarred Kelenic hit the fifth longest at 482 feet on April 12 at the Cubs. Riley also made the top 10 last season with a 473-foot home run on April 3 at the Cardinals that was tied for ninth longest.
The Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani has the longest home run in baseball this season with a 476-foot home run on June 18 versus the Rockies.
What does this mean? Probably nothing. It’s interesting to note that not only are the Braves hitting fewer home runs than last season, but they also aren’t going as far.
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