Small sample size, yes. But the Braves still could feel good about this statistic and how it might bode for their season: Five games in, they were hitting more than 100 points better with runners in scoring position than any other major league team.
After going 8-for-13 in those situations during Tuesday’s 13-6 rout of the Nationals, the Braves had a stunning .480 average (24-for-50) with four homers and league-leading marks of 35 RBIs, a .541 OBP and .760 slugging percentage with runners in scoring position.
They got a fifth homer with runners in scoring position in the first inning Wednesday when Preston Tucker hit a three-run shot off Nationals ace Max Scherzer.
The next-best batting averages in the majors with runners in scoring position entering Wednesday’s games belonged to the Padres (.353) and Rockies (.346), and the next-highest RBI totals in those situations belonged to the Nationals (27) and Diamondbacks (27).
No surprise who’s been the biggest gun for the Braves with runners in scoring position: Freddie Freeman was 6-for-7 with two home runs, two intentional walks and nine RBIs in those situations after going 2-for-2 on Tuesday with a three-run homer and an RBI single. Freeman led the majors in average (.857), OBP (.889) and slugging percentage (1.857) among players with at least five official at-bats with runners in scoring position before Wednesday.
A year ago, Freeman hit .357 with runners in scoring position, posting a .509 OBP that ranked third in the majors beyond Joey Votto (.565) and Mike Trout (.533) and a .667 slugging percentage that was seventh-best in the majors.
The Braves hit .272 with runners in scoring position in 2017, seventh-best in the majors.
