The Atlanta Braves took a few swings this offseason, some of which just might work out. This is doubly true given their general manager is Alex Anthopoulos, who tends to excel at such things. Braves fans were rightly disappointed Anthopoulos didn’t add a high-profile addition to the starting rotation this winter, but the Braves were able to sign Jurickson Profar late in the free-agency process.
However, it is one of their earlier additions – one that was easy to poke holes in given his -1.5 WAR and a 77 OPS+ – who is impressing so far in spring training. That would be former Miami Marlins outfielder Bryan De La Cruz, who hit 21 home runs last season and is off to a fast start to the campaign.
De La Cruz’s one-year deal will become fully guaranteed if he makes the MLB roster out of spring training, which means his hot start is all the more important. De La Cruz has reached base on half of his plate appearances in spring training, but has yet to draw a walk. Essentially he is seeing the ball really well and teeing off, though De La Cruz’s eye is hardly the strength of his game.
For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work on The Baseball Insiders podcast, subscribe to The Moonshot, our weekly MLB newsletter, and join the discord to get the inside scoop during the MLB season.
Ronald Acuña Jr. injury provides opportunity for Braves outfielder Bryan De La Cruz
The Braves hope a change of scenery and winning mindset will bring the best out of De La Cruz’s, whose path to a roster spot is murky at best. If his spring training productivity continues, though, it’ll be tough to keep him off the Opening Day roster, even if that is in a platoon role off the bench.
Acuña Jr. has said he feels as if he is 90-95 percent recovered from his ACL injury. The Braves will remain cautious with him, meaning he will not get the start on Opening Day. Atlanta hopes he is good to go early in the season, however, with a May target timeline being the most realistic we have heard.
While Acuña Jr. is out, it could mean extra playing time for players like De La Cruz, who at least hopes to make enough of an impact to receive regular at-bats for the Braves in April. De La Cruz’s power is something that was surprisingly missing from the Atlanta lineup last season as compared to, say, 2023. The Braves parted ways with Kevin Seltzer in exchange for Tim Hyers, formerly of the Texas Rangers.
Spring training stats should always be taken with a grain of salt, but the Braves need bodies in the corner outfield spots early this season without a healthy Acuña Jr. De La Cruz provides them with just that assuming he can hit at a decent clip come Opening Day.
