Despite making the playoffs for the seventh consecutive year in 2024, the Atlanta Braves were quickly eliminated in the Wild Card round. Matt Olson and the team recognize the need for more firepower to make a deeper run in 2025.
However, Olson can’t carry the load alone. Players like catcher Sean Murphy must elevate their performance and live up to their contracts. Although Murphy struggled last season, Olson remains confident in his ability to bounce back, as he told Mark Bowman of MLB.com.
“He’s just an all-around guy,” Olson said of Murphy. “He plays defense, knows how to call a game, and can hit. He’s the kind of guy that you feel comfortable with leading the pitching staff; he’s got a good mentality to him; he’s a smart guy. That’s what you need back there.”
“One bad year doesn’t erase all that,” Olson added.
Murphy’s 2024 season was undoubtedly disappointing. In 72 games, he hit .193 with 10 home runs and 25 RBIs. An oblique injury sidelined him at the start of the year, and he admitted it impacted his performance.
“It was a combination of a lot of things. Missing that much time early on wasn’t how I wanted to start the season,” Murphy admitted. “I’m not sure my swing ever felt right after the oblique injury—not that I was in pain or hurt.
“Some things just felt off, and I never caught up or made the necessary adjustments. That’s on me. I should be able to adjust quicker than that.”
Now fully healthy, Murphy is determined to regain his All-Star form. His standout 2023 season isn’t far in the past—he started the All-Star Game that year, finishing with a .251 batting average, 21 home runs, and 68 RBIs. The Braves signed him to a $73 million contract for a reason.
With the NL East shaping up to be highly competitive in 2025, the Braves will need Murphy at his best if they hope to come out on top.
