Come the 2026 season, the Atlanta Braves should have left fielder Jurickson Profar around for the full marathon of the season. Last season, he missed 80 games due to testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs and then some time on the paternity list. By season’s end, he played one game shy of half the 2025 campaign.
Once he returned, there were some ups and downs. After a slow July, he was one of the top hitters on the team in August before falling back into a slump in September. In the 76 games he played in following his return, he batted .248 with an .803 OPS, a 121 OPS+, 14 home runs and 43 RBIs.
It can be marked as a respectable campaign, all things considered. The question is now what to expect in the follow-up for the team’s lead-off hitter. Let’s take a look.
While the counting stats were lower for obvious reasons, Profar showed that his newfound power and production are here to stay. At his 2025 pace across a full season, he would finish with around 30 home runs and 90 RBIs. Both would beat his career highs from his 2023 All-Star season.
His .446 slugging post-suspension is close enough to his .459 slugging in 2023 that we can expect the power to stick around for next season. Given the Braves’ struggles with the long ball at times, particularly earlier on in the season, that will be welcomed.
Next, we have his ability to get on base and to steal bases. He saw a dip from an on-base perspective.
A major reason was a drop in his batting average. His walk rate improved from 11.4% to 12.9%, but his batting average on ball in play (BABIP) dropped from .302 to .261. This can be attributed to a drop in his hard-hit rate and exit velocity. His BABIP was low, even for his career average (.271), so there’s a possibility that he rebounds a bit next year.
As for stolen bases, the Braves utilized him here in ways previous teams hadn’t. He stole nine bases on 11 attempts. It’s around his usual number, but he did it in half the games he would normally do it in. At his pace from last season, he would have about 19 stolen bases on 23 attempts over a full season.
Should the Braves utilize him the same way again next season, a 20-20 season isn’t an unrealistic expectation. Michael Harris II had the only 20-20 season on the team last year. Ozzie Albies arguably got close with 16 home runs and 14 stolen bases.
Profar can be expected to bring a new dynamic to the Braves’ lineup over the course of a full season. Last year brought on a complicated situation, but next year should bring more of what he was brought in to do for the team. That should help them pick up more wins earlier in the year and get them back in playoff contention.
