Understanding what exactly has gone wrong in the Atlanta Braves' 2025 season requires turning back the clock. Rewinding all the way to Atlanta's incredible World Series run, one that happened while their best player was stuck sitting on the sidelines. Ronald Acuña Jr. tore his right ACL on July 10th, 2021, seemingly ending Atlanta's hopes of making a deep postseason run.
In stepped Braves GM Alex Anthopoulos, still fully confident in his team's ability to find a way to finish strong. Joc Pederson, Eddie Rosario, Jorge Soler, and Adam Duvall were all brought in to help offset the loss of Acuna.
Impossibly, every last move worked. Soler became the 2021 World Series MVP, Rosario had a handful of postseason highlights, Pederson set an emotional tone, and Duvall's blasts came at the most opportune times. To call it postseason magic doesn't do the moves justice, of just how perfectly everything fell for Atlanta's front office
The Braves hoisted the World Series trophy, not realizing the future damage that had been done in one of the franchise's greatest moments. Anthopoulos bought into his own stock, not taking the magic for what it had been. Falsely believing the Braves could continue to shop on the bargain aisles and find answers as if Atlanta's roster would be a future cure-all for struggling hitters.
Braves 2021 World Series Run Set the Franchise up for Recent Failures
Four years later, this mentality remains as Braves fans watch infielders Luke Williams and Vidal Brujan forced to pitch innings due to front office negligence. The magic has completely worn away, exposing years of poor decisions for what they have been.
From the moment after lifting the trophy, the organization believed it knew better. Rather than handing Freddie Freeman an extra year, the team went all in on Matt Olson, a great player who simply could never measure up to a franchise legend. As great as Olson has been, Freeman has been better. He has created endless highlights during his time with the Dodgers. Including being the pivotal piece in a World Series run in Los Angeles.
Dansby Swanson was the next franchise player to be shown the door, an emotional leader who was pivotal to the team's 2021 run. Yes, the Cubs overpaid, but one cannot tell the story of what has brought the Braves here without pointing out how much Swanson is missed.
Max Fried would be the next franchise cornerstone to exit, having an instant impact in New York with the Yankees.
Atlanta's front office had a false sense of belief that it could lock up franchise players early on bargain deals. If this didn't work, they weren't afraid to pivot, believing in their own ability and not acknowledging the magic that was required for everything to fall into place four seasons ago.
Each franchise player that walked out the door was a reminder of what Atlanta could've built and the postseason failures that have followed. This year, the Braves aren't going to be lucky enough to earn a first-round exit. The Braves sit near the cellar of the National League, unable to find viable options for the bullpen or rotation.
All of this brings us back to a 2021 season that built false expectations of what a front office can accomplish shopping in the bargain aisles in the trade and free agent markets. Turning back the clock to the World Series run is understanding that it was the perfect storm. One that involved a fair amount of luck, as well as incredibly important franchise players whom Atlanta would promptly refuse to pay.
The Braves spiraling into a losing franchise didn't happen overnight, but was all set up by a front office that believed in its own abilities over paying market value for star players. Bringing us to a current new low as Atlanta fans attempt to find a way to talk themselves out of the doldrums that lie ahead in the season's final month.
As meaningful and important as the 2021 title remains, there is no denying the fallout that has come from the decisions that set up the incredible run. Decisions that have cost the Braves a World Series window and prevented the franchise from making deeper treks into the postseason.
It is time for the Braves' GM to take a hard look in the mirror and understand that, as great as that title may have been, it has set up future failures that only he can remedy. This means making difficult decisions about veteran players and being willing to spend in free agency. Not simply banking on the trade market to fill holes, but anticipating and setting your team up for success.
Until this is learned, the Braves will continue to move in the wrong direction based on poor team building, along with having lost too many leaders in the room. It isn't as simple as moving away from manager Brian Snitker or bringing in one new blockbuster addition, but understanding the gravity of the situation and being willing to change how the team is run. This is Atlanta's only path back to relevance as the organization hopes to return to the top of the mountain.