Is it fair to question the Atlanta Braves leadership?

Sitting three games under .500 on the season, 9.5 games back of the Phillies in the NL East, and amid yet another lull of dismal baseball, everything about the Braves current makeup is coming into question.

The offense has steadily been a bottom 10 unit dating back to May of last season. The pitching staff continues to be the club’s glaring strength, but there remain questions about the bullpen. However, the one area that is perhaps the most unexplainable is the Braves’ apparent lack of focus.

Whether it’s on the basepaths or at the plate in critical situations, Atlanta is not doing the little things that can make a difference between winning or losing on any given night, which is not a good sign for a club that has played more one-run games than any other team in baseball. A lot of that might lie at the feet of leadership, whether it’s Brian Snitker and his staff or the players themselves.

This is a topic that is now making its rounds through every major media outlet that just can’t wrap their heads around why this team has struggled for so long. With Ronald Acuña Jr. returning along with Spencer Strider, injuries can no longer be used as an excuse, making it a fair question: Who exactly is the vocal leader in the clubhouse?

It’s not a good sign when nobody can answer that quickly.

I’m not one that typically likes to rag on Brian Snitker. His track record really does speak for itself, and nothing that’s happened over the first 53 games of this season should change that, no matter how disappointing. Perhaps he’s not the league’s best manager, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a replacement in the middle of the season that’s any better.

In my opinion, it’s on the current core group of players. No matter how many times Brian Snitker and company preach the little things, it’s up to the guys playing everyday to put those principles into action. The team never seemed to have a problem doing these things when Freddie Freeman and Dansby Swanson were roaming around Atlanta. And guess who was the manager back then? Brian Snitker.

At an unacceptable rate, the Braves best players are not showing up in big moments, and oftentimes, failing to even make contact. It’s fair to question if leadership has anything to do with that, because something is undoubtedly wrong with how this team has played over their last 162 games. However, placing the blame on a lack of desire feels misplaced.

If anything, this Braves team might care too much. The word pressing has often been brought up over the last calendar year by Brian Snitker. The players want to do everything they can to help the team in high leverage situations, that it’s had a negative effect on the entire group.

I wouldn’t say that’s a leadership issue; however, it might be a problem that’s much more difficult to fix. Hopefully, once a few of these players get some knocks in a big spot, the floodgates open for the entire team. But right now, it seems to be the single biggest issue plaguing the Atlanta Braves.