Turnaround Time: How Hyers Can Help Struggling Stars Back to Form

The Braves followed a historic offensive campaign in 2023 with a disappointing performance in 2024. While injuries played a significant role in this decline, regression also contributed, leading the club to part ways with Kevin Seitzer and replace him with Georgia native Tim Hyers.

Hyers, relatively young by Brian Snitker’s staff standards, has already achieved much, winning World Series titles with both the Red Sox and Rangers. His straightforward approach has garnered the approval of Chipper Jones, raising hopes that he can help the Braves return to their offensive prowess. So, who stands to benefit the most from this hiring?

Orlando Arcia

When the Braves let Dansby Swanson walk in free agency, Orlando Arcia made Alex Anthopoulos look like a genius by putting together the first All-Star campaign of his career. However, his success came to a halt this past season. Despite matching a career-high with 17 home runs, Arcia finished with a disappointing .625 OPS and struggled with runners in scoring position.

The Braves don’t need Arcia to be an All-Star, especially if the rest of the lineup stays healthy and experiences positive regression. However, they do need him to be more than a liability at the plate. The hope is that Hyers can help Arcia become at least an average offensive contributor for Atlanta.

Jarred Kelenic

Kelenic has faced his share of challenges. The Braves took on significant financial commitments to acquire the former 6th overall pick from Seattle, and there were moments when he seemed to be turning a corner. Unfortunately, he ended up in a bench role.

He finished the season with a .231/.286/.393 slash line and 15 home runs, resulting in a .679 OPS. This performance fell short of the expectations the Braves had when trading for him, but there’s still reason to remain optimistic, especially with a new voice in the clubhouse.

If Kelenic can realize his full potential under Tim Hyers, it would greatly enhance the outfield depth.

Sean Murphy

Few players had a tougher 2024 season than Sean Murphy, making him a prime candidate for improvement. Injuries played a role, as he spent two months on the IL due to an oblique injury sustained on Opening Day. Nevertheless, it was a challenging year for the 2023 All-Star.

Murphy finished with a batting average below the Mendoza Line at .193, hitting just 10 home runs and posting a career-low .636 OPS. After a promising first half in 2023, where he hit .306 with a .999 OPS, his second half plummeted, resulting in a .159 batting average and a .585 OPS over his last 41 games.

Murphy certainly isn’t as bad as his recent performance suggests, but can he return to the form he displayed in the first half of 2023? That’s the question we hope Tim Hyers can help answer.