The Atlanta Braves made a big move during the offseason when they acquired slugging catcher Sean Murphy from the Oakland Athletics.
Murphy was the best catcher available on the trade market and was ultimately who the Braves landed on when searching for another backstop.
This season, the slugger is off to a very good start.
In his first 107 at-bats, Murphy is hitting for a .299 average and has nine home runs.
He also has driven in 32, leads the National League in slugging percentage with a .636 mark, has an on-base percentage of .440, and an OPS of 1.076.
On MLB Network, several analysts debated over whether the Braves’ new catcher was a legitimate MVP candidate.
3-for-4 with 4 RBI yesterday…is Sean Murphy a legit NL MVP candidate?@JakePeavy_22 and @Xavier_Scruggs think so.#MLBNOffBase | @Braves | #ForTheA pic.twitter.com/PGMYTLo6D7
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) May 10, 2023
Murphy went 3-for-4 on Tuesday against the Boston Red Sox and drove in four runs.
Former MLB pitcher Jake Peavy weighed in on Murphy and discussed his MVP case, saying that he believes Murphy to be a true candidate to win the award at the end of the season.
Peavy talked about how with the Athletics, Murphy didn’t have any protection in the lineup, something he now has with the Braves.
Murphy learned a lot from former MLB catcher Brad Ausmus, who Peavy credited as a great baseball mind.
Xavier Scruggs then chimed in, praising GM Alex Anthopoulos for making the trade to acquire him from the A’s.
He also echoed Peavy’s point about not having much protection in Oakland, but having plenty of it in Atlanta with stars such as Ronald Acuna Jr., Matt Olson, Ozzie Albies, Michael Harris II, and Austin Riley.
Murphy is on his way to having a special season, and has put up some impressive numbers so far.
NEXT: MLB Insider Shares Amazing Sean Murphy Fact