It didn’t take very long into Spring Training to start the lineup discourse.
One question going into spring training every fanbase has revolves around what the new season’s lineup will be. While the Atlanta Braves are carrying over the majority of their everyday regulars from 2024, the new addition of Jurickson Profar and Ronald Acuña Jr’s absence for the first month still had us guessing at where he’d fit in with the starting nine.
Brian Snitker didn’t waste any time revealing his initial plan for Profar, however. On the day pitchers and catchers had their first workout, the Braves longtime manager was more than willing to discuss lineup construction.
Brian Snitker said he views Jurickson Profar as a "Swiss Army Knife" type player as far as #Braves lineup construction goes. Profar could help at leadoff while Ronald Acuña Jr. is out in the early going and hit virtually anywhere they need him to throughout the season.
— Grant McAuley (@grantmcauley) February 12, 2025
Where Jurickson Profar fits into the Braves lineup, according to Brian Snitker
According to Brian Snitker, the Braves see the club’s new left fielder as a Swiss Army Knife for their lineup. Last season with the San Diego Padres, Profar hit in every lineup spot one through six at least six times. He hit leadoff 19 times, second in 51 games, third in 51 games, cleanup in six games, fifth in 19 games, and sixth in 12 games.
It didn’t matter where Profar hit, as the former top prospect finally broke out at 31, slashing .280/.380/.459 with a 134 OPS+. Even in his worst spot in the lineup, hitting second, Profar still managed a .742 OPS.
Naturally, with the Braves de facto leadoff hitter out to start the season, Snitker noted that Profar could hit leadoff while Acuña rehabs from his ACL injury. It would make sense to put the newest addition to the Braves in the leadoff spot, especially considering the team’s newest Curaçao switch-hitting native’s skill at drawing walks.
With Profar leading off, a potential Braves lineup could look like this:
- Jurickson Profar LF
- Ozzie Albies 2B
- Austin Riley 3B
- Matt Olson 1B
- Marcell Ozuna DH
- Michael Harris II CF
- Sean Murphy C
- Jarred Kelenic/Bryan De La Cruz RF
- Orlando Arcia SS
Ozzie Albies is likely more suited to be moved down in the lineup, but Brian Snitker seems content to keep the longest-tenured Brave higher in the order, as the other switch-hitting Curaçao native has hit second 368 times during his time with Atlanta.
If the Braves do shift Albies down, it would make sense to have either Marcell Ozuna or Austin Riley hit second.
Once Acuña returns and slots back into the leadoff spot, it’s easy to see how Profar could hit anywhere in this lineup, as he seems like a natural fit for the two-hole, the fifth spot, or the sixth spot.
