Atlanta Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos has done it again. The man behind several high-profile moves that have spearheaded the Braves’ current run atop the National League East may have pulled off his shrewdest move in his Braves tenure.

No, the Braves were not in dire need of this player or a similar player at this position but there is no question about the results. The Braves’ acquisition of catcher Sean Murphy might have been the most significant move this past offseason by any World Series contender. It certainly has had the biggest impact this early in the season.

Murphy not only provided the Braves depth; he also has been the most consistent hitter outside of Ronald Acuna Jr. during the first quarter of the season.

Consider his stats through the team’s first 43 games. Murphy is batting .268, is tied for third on the team with 10 homers and leads the team with 34 RBIs. He is also second on the team with a 1.8 wins above replacement (WAR). He has provided another power bat in one of the top lineups in the National League. His stats are also on pace to smash his personal highs last year when he posted 18 homers and 66 RBIs.

Murphy’s bat in the lineup was essential since fan favorite and veteran catcher Travis d’Arnaud had been sidelined because of a concussion and has only played 12 games. His addition has helped offset the slow starts that are plaguing regulars in the lineup like Austin Riley (.246 average, 52 strikeouts), Matt Olson (.230 average, 63 strikeouts) and Marcell Ozuna (.176 average). Murphy is a key reason the Braves are second in the National League with 228 runs scored.

Many already have Acuna Jr. pegged as the front-runner for the the N.L. Most Valuable Player award. His play has solidified his claim to be the best player in the league, if not baseball. But Murphy’s production is not far behind. At the current rate, Murphy will garner MVP votes and rightfully so.

The real MVP may once again be Anthopoulos. He once again pulled off a heist with his acquisition of Murphy. The Oakland A’s may refuse to conduct business with the Braves for the foreseeable future. The Braves traded for Freddie Freeman’s replacement when it acquired Olson from the A’s prior to the 2022 season. Atlanta immediately signed Olson to an eight-year, $168 million contract, locking up its first baseman for almost a decade. The Braves immediately signed Murphy to a six-year, $73 million contract upon his arrival.

Sean Murphy is the player we didn’t know we needed. It is great that we have him.