3 Things to Watch for Braves in Yankees Series

The Atlanta Braves will visit the New York Yankees in a matchup of two pennant contenders.

Atlanta Braves catcher Sean Murphy and third baseman Austin Riley / Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

The Atlanta Braves appear to be heading in the right direction again. But they will face a significant test on the road against the New York Yankees this weekend.

Although the Yankees have lost their last two games, they will enter the series with the best win percentage in the entire MLB. Their 51-26 record is 0.5 games better than the Baltimore Orioles in the AL East and the Philadelphia Phillies.

The Braves, though, have moved back to 10 games above .500 having won five of their last six contests.

The Braves-Yankees matchup will recall memories of the 1996 World Series. But there should be far more intrigue in the interleague showdown than simply an old championship rematch.

Here are three things to watch from the Braves perspective in the weekend series.

OF Jarred Kelenic in the Leadoff Spot

The Braves recent surge nearly coincides with outfielder Jarred Kelenic entering the leadoff spot. Since Michael Harris II’s injury on June 14, Kelenic has started the past five contests at No. 1 in the batting order.

He is slashing .304/.304/.609 with three extra-base hits, including 2 home runs, in those five games. He’s also scored 3 runs and posted 3 RBI.

With Ronald Acuña out for the season and Harris sidelined for the foreseeable future, Kelenic having more success at the top of the Braves order will be key to Atlanta continuing its offensive turnaround.

The @Braves are 4-1 since Jarred Kelenic moved up to the leadoff spot.

The 24-year-old outfielder owns a .913 OPS over those five games 🔥 pic.twitter.com/BuxbIC1fxW

— Bally Sports: Braves (@BravesOnBally) June 20, 2024

C Sean Murphy Ready to Breakout

Many Braves hitters have broken out of slumps over the past week. But Murphy is the most intriguing Atlanta position player to watch after Kelenic because of his performance on Wednesday.

In the series finale against the Detroit Tigers, Murphy went 4-for-4 with 2 home runs and 4 RBI. It was his first multi-hit game of the season.

Murphy doesn’t have many at-bats in 2024 because of an oblique injury that cost him two months. But the 2023 All-Star catcher is 6-for-14 in his past four games, which has raised his season average nearly 80 points.

Especially with Acuña and Harris, Murphy finding his rhythm is key for the depth of the Braves lineup.

Yankees Lineup Against Braves Left-Handed Starters

The Braves are projected to start Chris Sale on Friday and Max Fried on Sunday. Not only have Sale and Fried been dominant starters this season, both are obviously left-handed.

The two Braves starters could give New York problems. The Yankees have posted an OPS 80 points lower against left-handed pitching than right-handers this season.

As is true with just about every team, the Yankees have a much smaller sample versus southpaws. But New York has particularly struggled with producing power against lefties this season. The Yankees slugging percentage versus left-handers is .381 while it’s .450 against righties.

Sale and Fried could give the Braves a significant advantage in the series.