ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – After a promising start to the second half of the season, the Atlanta Braves are coming back down to Earth.
After starting the second half with a 19-19 record–an 11-game improvement over their first half–the Braves have gone 2-5 in their last seven games.
The stretch includes the 19-4 shellacking at the hands of the Philadelphia Phillies, two losses in extra innings and three blown leads.
This is a team in desperate need of a reset. A nine-game homestand and some new blood might do the trick.
The Braves’ homestand begins Friday against a Seattle Mariners team that has also gone 2-5 in their last seven games. In the thick of a wildcard race, the Mariners are looking to hold off surging Texas Rangers and Tampa Bay Rays squads.
Atlanta Braves’ Matt Olson hits a double scoring Jurickson Profar during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)(Chris Szagola | AP)
A Seattle pitching staff that loses its mojo on the road is colliding with a Braves lineup that is significantly better at home. The Braves have a 101 wRC+ at Truist Park, including a .305 BABIP. BABIP, meaning batting average on balls in play, measures a player’s luck on balls that enter the field of play. Mariners pitchers, on the other hand, have a .310 BABIP on the road and a 4.69 ERA, a full run higher than their home stats.
A .300 BABIP is about average.
Mariners bats are better on the road, with a 110 wRC+ in away games compared to a 105 wRC+ on the road. The Braves pitching staff, however, has the splits to match. Their stats aren’t as drastic as the Mariners, but the Braves still have a lower ERA at home than on the road; the team has a 4.22 ERA at Truist Park against a 4.49 ERA on the road.
In essence, the Braves are better hitters at home and the Mariners are worse pitchers on the road. The Mariners are better hitters on the road, but the Braves pitchers are better at home.
Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Chris Sale delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)(Chris Szagola | AP)
The Braves are also looking for some new and returning names to inject life into the roster. Friday will be Chris Sale’s first home start since returning from the injured list, giving the pitching staff a much needed ace. Two of the other four starters from the Braves’ opening day rotation remain on the injured list, leaving the Braves scrambling for innings.
The other starter, Spencer Strider, isn’t quite what he used to be. He’s still looking to recapture his 2023 form after an abysmal August, where he had a 10.13 ERA. His September got off to a good start. He gave up three runs on five hits and three walks in a 7-6 loss to the Cubs Monday. He’s set to start the series finale Sunday.
Atlanta Braves’ Ha-Seong Kim, right, celebrates with Ozzie Albies after hitting a three-run home run during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)(Erin Hooley | AP)
The most impressive new name has been waiver pickup Ha-Seong Kim. The 29-year-old South Korean was picked up on waivers from the Tampa Bay Rays on Sept. 1 and has made an immediate impact as the starting shortstop.
He’s gone 3-for-8 with one home run so far in Atlanta. His home run Wednesday was the first homer by a Braves shortstop in 2025. Despite the impressive start, it remains to be seen what the Braves will actually get out of Kim after just 93 plate appearances in a Rays uniform. Still, the Braves must like what they see. The Braves are on the hook for $2 million this season and a $16 million player option next season, but Kim could prove worth it in the season’s final month.
Seattle Mariners’ J.P. Crawford, right, looks on as Cal Raleigh (29) lifts the trident after hitting a solo home run against the Milwaukee Brewers during the sixth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, July 22, 2025, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)(Lindsey Wasson | AP)
Meanwhile, Seattle’s biggest bat is taking a dive at the worst time. Catcher Cal Raleigh has already set the record for most home runs by a catcher in a single season with 51, but his second half has not lived up to the incredible highs of the first.
The switch hitter had an incredible 174 wRC+ with a .259 batting average in 417 plate appearances prior to the All-Star Break. After his appearance at Truist Park, his wRC+ has taken a nosedive to 113 and his batting average has slipped to .209. His walk rate has fallen from 14.9% to 10.2%, while his strikeout rate has climbed from 25.2% to 31.2%.
The Mariners’ offense runs through Cal Raleigh. How he goes, the team goes, and it is not going very well for him.
The underlying stats give the Braves a better chance than most people might give them credit for, but that’s why they play the games.
How to watch Braves on Gray
Gray Media will simulcast these 15 Atlanta Braves games throughout the Southeast this season.
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If you are in another market outside of Atlanta, you can find your channel at BravesOnGray.com.