Atlanta Braves: Brian McCann Having a Bounce Back Season For Hometown Braves

Brian McCann’s career looked to be winding to an end, the catcher was struggling at the plate and fighting injuries.  The Atlanta Braves took a chance on their former catcher and he is rewarding them in a big way.

Lost in the incredible season the Atlanta Braves are in the midst of is the fact that Brian McCann is having a huge year for the team. After dealing with an early injury Brian has been productive at the plate and helped manage a young pitching staff.

Last season McCann hit .212 with the Astros struggling to stay healthy or produce at the plate when he was on the field. This season McCann has already surpassed last year’s RBI and homerun totals while hitting .269 for the Braves.

This weekend’s walk off hit from B-Mac was a reminder of just how special of a season McCann is having. Rarely do 35-year old catchers enjoy big bounce-back seasons, Brian’s production has been a surprise to even the most ardent Braves fan.

A lot of McCann’s success has to be attributed to the catcher finally being healthy and being back home in Atlanta. McCann’s best seasons came in Atlanta before he moved to the AL making stops with the Yankees and Astros.

Now Brian has rejoined the hometown Braves hoping for the resurgence he has shown and hoping to lead his team back to postseason relevance.

Not only has his production at the plate been important but behind it as well. McCann has an obvious calming presence on the Braves young pitchers and manages games at a higher level then fellow Braves catcher Tyler Flowers.

If McCann opts to play another season it would be surprising if Atlanta didn’t bring the veteran back to Atlanta.  Ending his career where it began would feel just right for McCann, with no better ending then guiding his hometown team to their second World Series title.