The Atlanta Braves have the best record in the NL at 23-10 entering Saturday's matchup with the Colorado Rockies, but the way they've gotten there has been unexpected.

For one, star right fielder Ronald Acuna Jr. has been far from their best player despite his talent and accolades. The 2023 NL MVP is hitting just .248 with a .736 OPS over 33 games, far below his career .288 batting average and .901 OPS.

Meanwhile, less-accomplished players like center fielder Michael Harris II and second baseman Ozzie Albies have been more effective. Harris tops the squad with a .324 batting average and has a .926 OPS, while Albies is hitting .320 with a .908 OPS and leads the team with 41 hits. 

Harris was the NL Rookie of the Year in 2022, but he logged just a .249 average and .678 OPS over 160 games last year. Additionally, Albies is a three-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger, but he hit .240 with a .671 OPS over 157 games last season.

Conversely, Acuna has never struggled to that level over a full campaign. The 28-year-old's biggest issue historically has been injuries, as he tore his right ACL in 2021 and his left ACL in 2024. As a result, he missed 40-plus games in 2021, 2022, 2024, and 2025.

However, Acuna is now healthy and is coming off a championship World Baseball Classic (WBC) run with Team Venezuela. The 6-foot, 205-pounder logged a .962 OPS over seven games in the tournament.

If the Braves get the WBC version of Acuna moving forward, the rest of the NL could be in trouble.

Although Acuna is off to a slow start by his standards, Atlanta has other stars living up to their potential so far. Three-time All-Star and Gold Glove Award-winning first baseman Matt Olson was sixth in MLB with a 1.011 OPS, tied for sixth with 10 homers, and tied for first with 29 RBIs entering Saturday, while nine-time All-Star starting pitcher Chris Sale was tied for first with five wins, was ninth with a 2.31 ERA, and 10th with a 0.91 WHIP.

Additionally, fellow starting pitcher Bryce Elder was sixth with a 1.88 ERA over seven starts. The 26-year-old isn't a star yet, but he'll become one if he keeps up his current form.

All of this individual production shows that Atlanta has one of baseball's deepest squads, but it needs its most talented offensive player to shine in order to maximize its roster.