Outfielder Jurickson Profar has been with the Atlanta Braves for just over a week, and there have been a number of opinions on his signing. A recent one by Bleacher Report grading declared it a home run (cheesy pun intended).

Bleacher Report’s Zachary D Rymer gave the signings an A grade. Under his system, this indicates that this signing was “brilliant.”

“Suddenly, the Braves look solid in left field,” he said.

This is a complete 180 from how ESPN’s Brandon Doolittle reviewed the signing. He gave the move a C grade because regression should be highly expected in 2025.

It’s a valid point to be made, especially when Profar is 31 years old. But I think something was left out of the equation when making that evaluation. Rymer didn’t mention this point either, but this will show there’s greater merit to the signing than just the improved stats. It’s why the stats improved.

Profar made adjustments to his mechanics that allowed for a breakthrough season.  He added a leg kick into his swing at the plate, lifting his front leg higher at the start of his swing. When a change in mechanics leads to improvement, it’s harder to write off a bigger year as a one-off.

If he just happened to have a better year because he had an overly high batting average on balls in play (BABIP), which can be a sign of randomness, or his breakout happened when with the Rockies, then Rymer might be jumping the gun with an A rating.

There’s a different approach at the plate that changed the course of his career. That doesn’t guarantee this contract won’t bust, but it’s a reliable indicator.

The Braves signed the left fielder to a three-year, $42 million deal on Jan. 23.

In 2024, Profar slashed .280/.380/.459 with 24 home runs and 85 RBIs and a 134 OPS+. He’s reliable with runners in scoring position with a slash line of .321/.446/.509 with five home runs and 54 RBIs.