On May 14, 2006, LaRoche garnered the contempt of Braves fans, players, and management after a play in which he fielded a routine grounder and lackadaisically jogged to first, and was beaten to the bag by Nick Johnson. LaRoche was heavily booed by the crowd (which continued for some time in the following games) and was benched for the play.
On May 28, 2006, LaRoche contributed two of the Braves' record eight home runs in a remarkable win against the Chicago Cubs. In addition, in a wild game against the San Diego Padres on July 14, 2006, LaRoche hit two more home runs and had five RBIs to help the Braves to a 15–12, 11-inning win. He finished the year with a .285 average, 32 home runs, and 90 RBIs — all career-bests.
LaRoche suffers from ADHD that was diagnosed during his high school years, which occasionally leads to on field blunders such as in a game against the Washington Nationals in 2006, when he picked up a Nick Johnson ground ball that should have resulted in the third out of the inning, but did not move quickly to step on first base. Johnson beat LaRoche to the base; the inning continued, and the Nationals scored four unearned runs. Washington won 8-1, and LaRoche was benched for the next game.