“To me, it's all excuses" - Atlanta Braves GM Alex Anthopoulos dismisses Bryce Harper drama, thinks team needed to be better

Atlanta Braves GM Alex Anthopoulos had many reasons to be proud of his team this season. In addition to putting up an MLB-best 103 wins, the Braves tied the league single-season record for home runs and posted the best team slugging percentage in history.

However, none of that mattered when it came to the postseason. For the second year in a row, the Braves were ousted by the Philadelphia Phillies by a series score of 3-1 in the NLDS.

Phillies star Bryce Harper was doubled up on a high-profile base running error in Game 2, handing the Braves their only win of the series. In the Braves locker room after the game, shortstop Orlando Arcia was overheard mocking Harper. In Game 3, Harper went yard twice, and was sure to stare down Arcia as he rounded the bases.

"Bryce Harper made sure to stare down Orlando Arcia while rounding second" - Crossing Broad

For fans of the Atlanta Braves, the result was nothing short of a humiliation. As the team was heavily favored to win the World Series, being outscored by the Philadelphia Phillies 20-7 over four games was disappointing.

In a recent interview with analyst Jon Heyman, Alex Anthopoulos gave his take on the heartbreaking season, including the incident between Bryce Harper and Orlando Arcia. Anthopoulos revealed that he did not think the sequence had an effect on his team's performance, arguing that his players did not heed the off-field drama, and claiming that "to me, it's all excuses."

"I actually do believe this – I think all that stuff in my opinion is noise. And that's not to say it's right, wrong, or different, is I think once guys step on the field, that stuff's gone anyways. I don't think it affects someone at the plate or the mound. I think it's a distraction and it's noise,” Anthopoulos said.

"I refuse to buy into any other narratives. At the end of the day two teams went out on the field ... and I don't believe once they were on the field, anyone was thinking about it... To me it's all excuses, it's not dodging it, but any time you spend time thinking and worrying about this stuff, it's not good."

"Braves GM Alex Anthopoulos gives his take on “atta boy Harper” here. AA talks Braves ending, playoff format and future in podcast. We talk Kim Ng, Phils, Rangers, old school resurgence and praise Dombrowski and Young" - Jon Heyman

2023 was the sixth season for Alex Anthopoulos at the helm of the Atlanta Braves. A 2021 World Series champion, the Canadian got his start in management with the Toronto Blue Jays, serving as the GM for MLB's only Canadian team between 2009 and 2015.

Alex Anthopoulos deserves full credit for his construction of current Braves

While the 2023 season was indeed a massive disappointment given the Atlanta Braves' regular season performance, they were still the best team in baseball. Many of the current Braves' sluggers, such as Matt Olson, Marcell Ozuna, and Arcia himself, were brought to the team by Alex Anthopoulos. However, the team failed to get it done when it mattered, and that is a truth that Anthopoulos will need to keep in mind as they prepare to do it all again in 2024.