For the better part of a year and half, Atlanta Braves fans’ favorite player to hate was without question Sean Murphy. Fatigue caused his production to crater in the second half of his first season with the team and injuries cost him a ton of time in 2024 and robbed him of his usual explosiveness at the plate and in controlling the running game. By all accounts, it was not for fans to watch or for Murphy to experience and many wondered if the Murphy trade was a rare Alex Anthopoulos mistake.
Fast forward to 2025 spring training and it felt like we could be in store for another lost season this year as Murphy broke a rib and missed the start of the season. Fortunately, his absence was short and Murphy would waste little time in getting back to his former glory.
If you made a list of the players that are the most responsible for the Braves’ turnaround in April, Murphy’s name would be at or near the top of the list. With Murphy’s latest torrid stretch, fans are remembering why the Braves traded for him and what he looked like when he first arrived in Atlanta.
Sean Murphy’s rampage is looking a lot like his first half dominance in 2023
With Travis d’Arnaud hurt at the time back in 2023, Atlanta was really relying on the newcomer Murphy to carry the load behind the plate. It is safe to say he did just that and more as he slashed .306/.400/.599 during the first half, made his first All-Star team, and was starting to even get a bit of MVP buzz. It was a sight to see and a big reason why fans were so disappointed that his production faded so badly later in the season.
So far, Murphy’s performance in 2025 is looking surprisingly similar. He currently sports an eerily close to 2023 .990 OPS through 70 plate appearances and over his last seven games, Murphy has a .320/.393/.760 line including three homers. All of a sudden, those that were demanding the Braves cut Murphy and/or fire him into the sun are very, very quiet.
One hopes that this isn’t a true repeat of 2023 because the Braves really need Murphy to be good for a full season. Not only does this year look like it could a real battle to get back to the postseason after a terrible start, but fans just need to have confidence that the catcher Atlanta invested so much in to acquire in the first place is actually worth it.
