At 38-45, the Atlanta Braves are one of the most disappointing teams in the National League. They are 7.5 games out of a wild card spot. There’s pressure on the team’s president of baseball operations, Alex Anthopoulos, and one of the team’s all-time greats recently weighed in on the team’s current morale.
Andruw Jones Admits Braves May Have Made Mistakes With Extensions
Jones spoke with “Foul Territory” to discuss the Braves’ disappointing season, and the topic was raised if perhaps some players were rewarded too quickly with extensions. Jones said it’s great for players to lock in significant money early in their careers, and it’s great for the Braves to avoid complicated arbitration cases. However, Jones also admitted that the Braves “went too quick on a couple of guys.”
Center fielder Michael Harris II comes to mind as an underperforming player. Harris signed an eight-year, $72 million contract in 2022 after he was named National League Rookie of the Year.
However, Harris is still seeking his first All-Star Game selection and has delivered just over three wins above replacement (bWAR) since signing the deal. Harris’ OPS has also declined every season since signing the contract, which could become an anchor in a few seasons unless things change.
Michael Harris II OPS+ by season:
2022: 133 | 2023: 126 | 2024: 98 | 2025: 56Digging into why one of baseball’s most promising young stars has fallen flat 👇 pic.twitter.com/tWKqHtptDO
— Paul Hembekides (Hembo) (@PaulHembo) June 27, 2025
There may be questions about pitcher Spencer Strider’s six-year, $75 million extension soon. After taking the league by storm in 2022 and winning 20 games in 2023 while leading the league in strikeouts, Strider hasn’t been the same pitcher since having surgery to repair UCL damage in his right elbow.
Strider is currently 3-6 with a 3.86 ERA, and while his strikeout rate is still high, he isn’t quite the fireballer anymore. Strider’s fastball velocity has declined every season since 2022.
Spencer Strider struggling in his first start off the IL pic.twitter.com/vJN5XSsYPT
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) May 20, 2025
Braves superstar Ronald Acuña Jr. was slightly criticized for signing an eight-year, $100 million contract in 2019 that paid out his arbitration years with a couple of club options added to the end of the deal. Some baseball media members felt Acuña would become seriously underpaid in a few years.
Acuña won the National League Most Valuable Player Award in 2023 and finished in the top five in 2019. He’s a four-time All-Star who has provided nearly 28 wins above replacement in his career. While Acuña has outperformed his contract, he was probably happy to have the security, as he’s dealt with multiple ACL tears since signing the contract.
The Braves’ track record of locking up their young stars appears to have a mixed grade at this point, and it’ll be interesting to see how they approach things with the next generation, such as catcher Drake Baldwin.