But Olson can’t do it alone. Players such as catcher Sean Murphy must step up and play up to their contract. But while Murphy specifically is coming off of a down year, Olson has all the confidence in the world that the catcher will bounce back, via 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,” Murphy concluded.
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Still, there’s no doubting that Murphy’s 2024 campaign was disappointing. Over 72 games, the backstop hit .193 with 10 home runs and 25 RBI. An oblique injury held him out to start the year, which Murphy admits limited his game.
“It was a combination of a bunch of things. Missing that much time at the beginning, that’s not how I wanted to begin the season,” Murphy admitted. “I’m not sure my swing ever felt correct coming off the oblique, not that I was in any pain or hurt. Some things just felt off, and I never caught up and found a way to adjust. That’s on me. I should be able to adjust quicker than that.”
Murphy is now fully healthy and ready to recapture his All-Star magic. The 2023 season wasn’t so long ago. And that year, Murphy started the All-Star Game and ended up hitting .251 with 21 home runs and 68 RBI. The Braves gave him a $73 million contract for a reason.
The NL East is expected to be a ferocious battle in 2025. If the Braves want to come out of the division successfully, Matt Olson and company will need Sean Murphy at his best.
