Before all of the position players arrive this week and the Grapefruit League season begins on Saturday, let’s take a look back at some of the early storylines to come out of Braves camp.

Ronald Acuña Jr. arrives in a great mood

This might not have been what you gathered from some other media outlets. But quite honestly, the reigning National League MVP said everything you would have wanted to hear if you’re a Braves fan.  

Acuña apologized for struggling during the National League Division Series and even said he was sorry for not talking to the media after the final game in Philadelphia. He didn’t need to do that. He also discussed his excitement for the upcoming season. And when asked if he would like to wear the Braves uniform throughout his career, he said, “It’s no secret I’d like to be a Brave for life.”

Some took this as Acuña asking for a new contract, despite the Braves having five more years of control with the current deal. There was no mention of his contract. He was just saying he’d like to spend his entire career with Atlanta. But as long as aggregation exists in the media world, there’s a chance to create this kind of aggravation. 

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with fans debating anything that might interest them in the sports world. So, if fans want to talk about the team-friendly contract that will pay Acuña $85 million over the next five seasons ($17 million per year), that’s fine. But in no way, shape or form did Acuña come to camp showing signs of being disgruntled. Unhappy players don’t usually arrive more than three days before they are required to report.

Strong psyche

Chris Sale is among the countless pitchers who have undergone Tommy John surgery. There are also some who might have suffered a rib cage stress fracture while throwing live batting practice like Sale did before the 2022 season. Others have also had a finger fractured by a comebacker. And there may have been another pitcher or two who broke their wrist while falling off a bike. 

But without doing any research, I’ll confidently write that Sale is the only pitcher in baseball history to suffer each of these ailments in these specific manners within any four-season span.

But as you talk to the highly competitive and intense pitcher, you get the sense his confidence hasn’t been shaken during this misfortune-filled stretch. His innings will be limited this year, but his effort won’t be. His first quote in this story should give you this sense. 

Looking for another great postseason moment

Decades from now, Braves fans will still be talking about Sid’s slide, Justice’s homer and Matzek’s filthy appearance. No full names or playoff series will be needed. These will forever stand among the most iconic playoff moments in franchise history.

So, it was good to see Tyler Matzek anxiously discussing possibly getting another chance to shine in October. His injury-plagued 2022 season ended with Tommy John surgery. He has come to camp healthy. But there is a chance he'll make a few rehab appearances in April before officially rejoining Atlanta’s bullpen. 

Who has hit the most grand slams for the Braves since the start of the 2000 season?

A) Chipper Jones
B) Ozzie Albies
C) Andruw Jones
D) Brian McCann

We’ve heard a lot about how Sale is going to give this team the edge that it needs. We’ve seen it over the years with players like Eric Hinske, Josh Donaldson and Joc Pederson. It certainly doesn’t hurt for a team to have some dog in it.

This leads me back to last year, when a couple media outlets reported that Orlando Arcia walked through a celebratory clubhouse and said, “Atta boy, Harper!” after the Phillies star was doubled off to end Game 2 of the NLDS.

Braves players were upset that a couple media members chose to write this. That’s fine. That’s an expected response. But instead of acting like this bothered them, would it have been beneficial for Arcia to simply say, “Yeah, I said it. What’s wrong with it?”

Bryce Harper didn’t hit those two homers in Game 3 because of what Arcia said. He took advantage of two bad pitches and then showed some of that attitude that guys like Sale, Pederson, Donaldson and Hinske have been known to create.

Pierce Johnson is a hard-throwing reliever who has become recognized across the league for having some of the best Dad jokes. Here’s one he told this past weekend:

“I felt like I was swimming in a pool of orange soda. But I figured out it was just a Fanta-Sea.”

You might remember about a month ago when I wrote about how close some of the animals got to Matt Olson when he and his wife went on an African safari this winter.

Well, Olson pulled out his phone and showed some proof. He had some lions in close proximity and a baby baboon walked across his shoes. But the scary moment came when a rhino charged toward their vehicle.

I’ve never previously thought about a safari. But seeing video of Olson’s experience might lead me to put it on my bucket list.

D)  McCann hit 10 grand slams while tallying 148 bases-loaded plate appearances for the Braves. Albies (60 PA) and Javy Lopez (66 PA) are tied for second on this list with five slams. 

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