Despite New York’s first-place standing, Yankees’ fans have a few reasons to be irate this season. After the many crucial fielding blunders combined with the offensive stagnation that defined Gleyber Torres’ 2024 season, it would be understandable if Yankees’ fans have some mixed feelings about watching him thrive in Detroit. Some fans may even be peeved with Jose Trevino, who is having a career year in Cincinnati. And of course, there is Devin Williams. Comparing his performance to that of recent castoffs Clay Holmes and Tommy Kahnle is undoubtedly a sore spot. The same can be said about the Braves and Alex Verdugo.
But there is no greater dissatisfaction in New York than seeing Verdugo bounce back from his one-season Bronx bummer in heroic fashion. In Verdugo’s one year with the Yankees, he posted what was by far the worst numbers of his career, finishing the season hitting .233/.291/.356/.647 with 13 home runs. This performance made teams hesitant to make him an offer.
But since joining the Atlanta Braves this season, Verdugo is hitting .297 with an on-base percentage of .357 entering Wednesday. Adding insult to injury is that he is replacing Bryan De La Cruz, who landed with the Yankees shortly after being DFA’d.
“I feel like we can beat anybody out there,” said Verdugo, who joined the #Braves on April 18, when they were 5-13, and infused the lineup with good leadoff at-bats and swagger derived from his personality and from playing 8 seasons on the biggest stages. https://t.co/t4MEBq5t9l
— David O’Brien (@DOBrienATL) May 7, 2025
Over the years, the Braves have experienced some great success stories in revitalizing players past their primes and after down years. But while Verdugo might be a hero in Atlanta right now, the season is still young. There is something Braves fans should know about him before the second half rolls around.
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Alex Verdugo is a fast starter, but slows down in the second half
Over his career, Verdugo posted some splits that show a clear contrast. In the first half, Verdugo owns a .273/.330/.420/.750 slash line. In the second half, this dips to .265/.319/.393/.712.
Verdugo’s second half splits aren’t exactly reprehensible, but it is fair to note that Verdugo is not the exceptional hitter he once was. His offense has been on a noticeable downtrend since 2021. The drop-off became steep in 2023, the first season he posted an average below .280 during a full season of Major League ball. That year, he posted a batting average of .264. Verdugo’s meager 2024 stats made it look like his best years were behind him.
Make no mistake, the Braves’ coaching staff have managed some rather shocking feats in the past, in which Verdugo could just be the latest installment. And it certainly bodes well for the Braves that his current batting average is better than during any period in 2024. But while Verdugo may be outperforming what he did last year, Braves’ fans might not want to hinge their hopes on him. For now, it may be wise to show some cautious optimism while waiting for Ronald Acuna Jr. to return.
