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The Braves Have Done Away With A Common MLB Practice

Originally posted on The Cold Wire | By Curt Bishop | Last updated 9/29/22

Sacrifice bunts have been a part of Major League Baseball for a long time.

It was common in the National League when there were runners on base and the pitcher was at the plate.

However, with the designated hitter now being universal, we’re seeing less and less of the sacrifice bunts, mainly because pitchers don’t hit anymore.

One team in particular has actually gone most of the season without having performed a sacrifice bunt.

The Atlanta Braves are that team and could end up being the first team in the history of baseball to not perform one for the entirety of a 162-game season.

#Braves have no sacrifice bunts this season, and could become the 1st team in MLB history to play a full season without one. (In fact, no team has ever had fewer than 4.) Three teams didn't have one in 60-game 2020 season, which doesn't count. 16 teams have 10 or more this season

— David O'Brien (@DOBrienATL) September 28, 2022

Braves Have Yet To Perform A Sac-Bunt

This would be a major first in baseball.

As the tweet above reads, there were a few teams who didn’t perform a sac-bunt in the pandemic shortened 2020 season.

Of course, that was just a 60-game season, so it doesn’t really count for much.

It’s not exactly that hard to not do it when there are only 60 games, especially because that was our first taste of the universal DH.

It’s a part of the game that is slowly going away.

Some people who claim to be purists aren’t too big on the idea of pitchers not hitting, but most fans are happy to see more offense and maybe a little less of the nitty gritty stuff that was so prominent in the National League style of baseball.

Baseball is slowly changing, and while some people may feel like less sac-bunts means less strategy in the game, it could turn out to be quite the opposite.

We’ll see if the Braves drop down a sac-bunt at any point over the final six games of the regular season or if they can go a full season without doing it once.

This article first appeared on The Cold Wire and was syndicated with permission.

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