Fan favorites are coming back to Truist Park Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images

Reunions with Braves World Series Champions Coming to Atlanta This Week

Originally posted on Atlanta Braves on SI
By Harrison Smajovits | Last updated Jul 1, 2025 12:08 PM ET

This week has turned out to be reunion season for the Atlanta Braves with multiple members of the organization returning to Truist Park.

Three notable standouts are on the rosters of the Angels and Orioles teams coming to Atlanta: World Series champions Charlie Morton, Travis d'Arnaud and Jorge Soler. All three played with the Braves as recently as last season.

d'Arnaud played for the Braves from 2020 to 2024, earning a Silver Slugger award in 2020 and an All-Star nod in 2022. In 384 games in a Braves uniform, he batted .251 with a 755 OPS, 60 home runs and 207 RBIs. Toward the end of last season, d'Arnaud gave the Braves one last heroic moment to help push them closer to a playoff berth. He hit a walk-off solo home run to beat the Kansas City Royals 2-1 on Sept. 28, 2024.

This season, he's back up Angels catcher Logan O'Hoppe. In 39 games, he's batting .219 with a .640 OPS. He might not be in the lineup during this series, but he'll certainly be in the building to be welcomed back by the fans.

Soler is currently on the 10-day injured list, but still gets a shoutout as the 2021 World Series MVP. That three-run home run in Game Six of the 2021 World Series to give the Braves a 3-0 lead in the top of the third inning is permanently etched into Braves lore.

In 67 games played this season, Soler is batting .207 with a .631 OPS, eight home runs and 26 RBIs.

Morton is scheduled to start for the Orioles on Friday. He was supposed to pitch on Tuesday, but low-grade right elbow tendinitis had him pushed back to Friday. For what it's worth, it guaranteed that he is getting to pitch in Atlanta.

After the Tampa Bay Rays declined his option after the 2020 season, Morton signed a one-year deal with the Braves. He found himself back in the World Series for the second year in a row, but this time as a champion.

In his four most recent seasons in Atlanta, removing his rookie 2008 season in Atlanta before heading to Pittsburgh, Morton had a 3.87 ERA, a 1.25 WHIP and 771 strikeouts in 124 starts. He was one of the most reliable arms in the rotation, giving the Braves at least 30 starts every season.

He has a 5.63 ERA in 18 appearances, 13 starts this season, but he's been trending upward lately. In his last nine appearances, he has a 2.68 ERA.

It would be nice to see a warm welcome back to some top players who were important to the Braves' success in the first half of this decade. The first one up for a standing ovation is d'Arnaud Tuesday night.

While he's not currently managing the Angels for health reasons, a special shoutout to manager Ron Washington, who was the Braves' third base coach during the World Series run in 2021. We hope he gets well soon. It would be nice to see the Braves give him a nod in some fashion this week.