ATLANTA -- A couple months ago, I compared Nick Allen to former Braves shortstop Rafael Belliard, who had a great glove and a toothpick for a bat. Allen might never be lauded for his offensive accomplishments. But he has become the Braves’ primary shortstop because he has shown he can consistently produce more efficient plate appearances than Orlando Arcia. “He’s a really solid shortstop, and he’s had some of the best at-bats we’ve had all year,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “He’s already earned more playing time.” Braves fans clamored for Atlanta to find anybody other than Arcia, who ranked last among qualified shortstops in both wins above replacement (0.8, per FanGraphs) and wRC+ (72) last year. But even after Allen was acquired from the A’s for an obscure Minor League pitcher named Jared Johnson on Nov. 11, it was hard to see a replacement had been landed. But what we didn’t know was that Allen had some trouble seeing while producing a .537 OPS in 760 plate appearances for the A’s from 2022-24. The 26-year-old infielder started wearing goggles this year to fight against the astigmatism that affected his vision, especially during night games. The impact might not be significant. He had a .518 OPS in 452 plate appearances during night games while with the A's and a .566 OPS in 308 plate appearances during day games. But like the change of scenery, the goggles provide Allen further reason to feel like he’s been given a fresh start. |
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“I couldn’t be more thankful for the opportunity to just keep playing and keep going,” Allen said. “I’m just trying to fight every day.” Arcia started the season opener, but once Allen was placed at shortstop for the second game, it was apparent the Braves were serious about giving him regular playing time. But Snitker took it another step when he used Allen as his starting shortstop for four straight games from Tuesday-Saturday. “He’s played great defense for us and the bats have been professional,” Braves third baseman Austin Riley said. “So I’ve been super pleased with him.” Arcia was elected to start the 2023 All-Star Game, but he has produced a meager .646 OPS since the start of that season’s second half. The 1.4 fWAR he has produced since the 2023 All-Star break ranks last among qualified shortstops, ahead of only St. Louis’ Masyn Winn (2.8 fWAR) during this long span. Along with producing far too many wasted plate appearances, Arcia also seems to have lost some range. There were two instances during the season’s first road trip where he was unable to get to a ball he seemingly had at least kept in the infield in the past. Look, nobody envisioned Arcia to be an everyday shortstop, including himself. Had he seen himself in that role, he wouldn’t have accepted the $2.43 million average annual salary he gained from the three-year, $7 million deal he signed at the start of the 2023 season. |
That was the same year when either Braden Shewmake or Vaughn Grissom was going to be the starting shortstop. Wow, is this a good time to remind you that Dansby Swanson had done everything he could, including call team chairman Terry McGuirk, to make it clear he wanted to stay in Atlanta, even if he was leaving a large amount of money on the table? Anyhow, we’re now back to Allen, who is making the most of his opportunity. He’s the son-in-law of Bret Boone, who teamed with Braves bench coach Walt Weiss to serve as Atlanta’s middle infielders during the 1999 World Series. Boone and A’s manager Mark Kotsay, who enjoyed his own short stint with the Braves in 2008, both gave Atlanta coaches reason to be excited about Allen’s passion to play and win. Allen is 5-for-18 (.278) with a double thus far. He’s not going to hit 17 homers like Arcia did during both of the past two years. But his ability to provide more productive at-bats could lead to more runs over the course of an entire season. “I’ve just gotta keep going,” Allen said. “So far so good. So whatever I can do to help the team win, no matter what, I'm there.” |
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MLB MORNING LINEUP PODCAST |
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Who was the most recent Braves player to ground into three double plays in one game? A. Yunel Escobar B. Martín Prado C. Matt Diaz D. Joe Adcock |
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If I hadn’t known Spencer Strider had recorded eight strikeouts and held Triple-A Nashville hitless over 5 1/3 scoreless innings on Friday, I’d have walked away from Saturday’s interview assuming he had spent a lot of time pitching from the stretch. But his honesty about his need to improve his command and make other strides was comforting, and was also a reminder that he constantly aims for perfection. You can say everybody does. But there’s a difference with competitive guys like John Smoltz and Strider, who have shown us why they believe they can be elite with everything they do. Here is a look at what Strider had to say as he prepares for Thursday night’s rehab start for Triple-A Gwinnett against Norfolk. Counting his two Grapefruit League outings, this will essentially be his fifth Spring Training start. He’ll aim to throw 90 pitches, so there’s still a chance he could be activated before the next homestand that starts on April 18 against the Twins. |
The Braves activated Sean Murphy from the injured list on Sunday and confirmed that Drake Baldwin will remain in the Majors to share the catching duties. Another veteran who could soon join the lineup is outfielder Alex Verdugo, who played for Triple-A Gwinnett on Friday and Saturday. Once Verdugo is in playing shape, the Braves could choose to have him replace Jarred Kelenic, who has a .423 OPS through nine games. The good news is the Braves have liked what they’ve seen from Bryan De La Cruz, who is playing left field in Jurickson Profar’s absence. |
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A. Prado Prado did this against the Astros on May 16, 2011. It’s been done just five times in franchise history. But Diaz (Aug. 4, 2009) and Escobar (Aug. 29, 2008) have also done so within the past 17 years. |
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