What a difference a year can make, right? And for several key Atlanta Braves players such as Sean Murphy, that’s been the story of their 2024 season. Just look at the numbers, and the picture comes into focus quickly. For stars like Matt Olson, the season was vastly different compared to 2023.
Then there were players like Ronald Acuña Jr. and Austin Riley, both of whom spent a portion of the year on the injured list, sidelining some of the team’s most powerful offensive weapons. However, one name has started to stand out in a way that no one has anticipated: Sean Murphy.
When Bleacher Report’s Zachary Rymer was asked to pinpoint the player currently on the Braves’ worst long-term contract, he didn’t hesitate. His answer was clear—catcher Sean Murphy. It’s a harsh spotlight for a player who was just an All-Star a season ago, but the numbers back up the claim.
Murphy’s been limited by injuries, suiting up for only 180 games across the last two seasons. To make matters worse, since the 2023 All-Star break, Murphy has struggled at the plate, hitting a chilly .181/.294/.313 in his last 113 games. Ouch.
Here’s the thing—Murphy is 30 now, and those injury concerns? They’re not going anywhere. As Rymer points out, age and injuries don’t tend to mix well, and it’s hard to be optimistic about a player bouncing back from that kind of slump at this point in his career. After hitting .193 with a .636 OPS this past season, it’s no surprise that veteran catcher Travis d’Arnaud saw more action, playing in 99 games. That’s the second-highest number of games d’Arnaud’s played in the last five years, which says a lot about the Braves’ reliance on him to fill the void.
Murphy’s 2024 season started rough right out of the gate, literally. He left Opening Day with an oblique injury, didn’t return for two months, and never found his rhythm. Offensively, it was a grind. He managed to string together multiple hits in consecutive games just once all season. For a player of his caliber, those stats are alarming.
Looking ahead, there’s a lot riding on Murphy’s 2025 season. The Braves need him to bounce back. Hopefully he can turn things around now that he is healthy. But with his hefty contract of $15 million annually starting next season, running through 2029 (with a club option for that final year)—there’s not much room for error. It’s a high-stakes situation for both Murphy and the Braves, and only time will tell if the former All-Star can regain his form.
