GM Alex Anthopoulos admits Atlanta Braves 'not playing well'

The Atlanta Braves, who suffered their season-high fifth straight loss after falling 4-2 on the road against the Baltimore Orioles in Major League Baseball (MLB) on Wednesday, have not been performing well, their general manager Alex Anthopoulos admitted.

"I don't normally do scrums during the season, because we've done well," Anthopoulos told reporters before the game. "If I'm doing them, that means we're not playing well."

The Braves secured more than 100 wins in each of the previous two seasons, but are currently 35-30 and in second place in the National League (NL) East Division, 10.5 games behind the first-place Philadelphia Phillies.

"The Phillies are obviously playing exceptionally well – best team arguably in the game right now – but it's about making sure you get to the playoffs one way or the other," Anthopoulos said. "Right now, the NL, I bet you if you took a lot of these teams and these front offices, they'd tell you the same thing. No one's playing the way they thought they would – barring Brewers, Dodgers, Phillies."

The Braves came into the season looking to add to their streak of six straight NL East titles, a run that also includes winning the World Series in 2021.

The 2024 regular season hasn't reached its midpoint yet, which means there is still time for the team to correct its course. Nonetheless, it won't be easy for them to battle back, especially after losing top pitcher Spencer Strider following elbow surgery and ruling out reigning NL Most Valuable Player Ronald Acuna Jr. for the rest of the campaign due to a knee injury.

"The offensive issues seem like they're spread across the league," Anthopoulos said. "A lot of GMs are saying the same thing. People feel like they're not hitting the way they can."