“Get ready to learn how to hit leadoff.” I’m not sure if that is the exact message Brian Snitker told Alex Verdugo upon being recalled to the Atlanta Braves, but this is the world we are living in. It has been one disaster after another for the Atlanta outfield. Ronald Acuña Jr. is still not back from a torn ACL. Jurickson Profar got popped for PEDs. Michael Harris II can’t hit. Jarred Kelenic can’t do anything.

Blessed to be 5-13 on the year, the 2025 Braves were somehow allowed to come back into the country after making a mess of it north of the border in Canada. Everything that can go wrong has gone wrong for the Braves in the first three weeks of the season. Everything sucks right now. Our only hope is if Verdugo can be Braves Country’s Luke Skywalker. He is not Joc Pederson, he is just a guy…

For those who want to start their weekend off on the wrong foot, here is how the Braves will line up.

Braves lineup vs. Twins

• 1. LF: Alex Verdudgo
• 2. 3B: Austin Riley
• 3. DH: Marcell Ozuna
• 4. 1B: Matt Olson
• 5. 2B: Ozzie Albies
• 6. C: Sean Murphy
• 7. CF: Michael Harris II
• 8. SS: Nick Allen
• 9. RF: Jarred Kelenic
• SP: RHP Bryce Elder

And if you want a better visual of how a 5-13 baseball club lines up in red jerseys, well, here you go…

Atlanta begins a home stand vs. the equally toothless Minnesota Twins on Friday night at Truist Park.

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Alex Verdugo hitting leadoff in first Atlanta Braves game is unbelievable

Let’s be real. I am probably going to end up watching part of this game on the FanDuel Sports Network, mostly because I hate myself. Probably before the 27th out of the night is recorded by way of a 20th punch out for the Twins pitchers, my girlfriend and I will probably switch over and try to get through the last season and a half of The League before we lose our access to Hulu in a week or so.

At the start of the year, the Braves may have had aspirations of winning The Shiva, now they are destined to win The Ruxin. Forever unclean… Yes, there will be times when the Braves benefit from a Taco bye week, but I know a team sponsored by Yobogoya when I see one. The cheapest bucket of beef is not from Illinois-ya, but rather Atlanta. Legally, we cannot call this team beef, so there is that…

To be somewhat optimistic, I am hopeful Verdugo can show Harris what plate discipline looks like, while simultaneously taking Kelenic’s job the rest of the way. Acuña will be back at some point, but will he even want to? He could opt out like Jamie Newman during a COVID year and see how that turns out. All these “jokes” aside, the Braves are making me laugh as I lose my mind, a little bit all the time…

If Verdugo is the second coming of Pederson, I can’t wait to see if he has the stones to wear pearls.