![\"Michael](\"https:\/\/images2.minutemediacdn.com\/image\/upload\/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_3891,h_2188\/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto\/images\/GettyImages\/mmsport\/229\/01jsmd85khjhkxg1npx1.jpg\")
<\/p>\nWhenever the Atlanta Braves do call someone up from the minors, they are usually ready to play.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Believe or not, the Atlanta Braves have played better baseball of late.<\/p>\n
After an 0-7 start, the Braves are 10-7 in their last 17 games. Yes, they may have faced easier competition of late, but a win is a win is a win is a win!<\/p>\n
Atlanta just took two of three at home from the St. Louis Cardinals, fresh off a three-game home sweep of the Minnesota Twins. What has gotten into these Braves of late offensively?<\/p>\n
Well, for starters, calling up veteran outfielder Alex Verdugo from Triple-A Gwinnett has been a huge boost to the offense.<\/p>\n
He signed with the organization late in the spring, and needed a bit more time to get ready for the MLB season ahead.<\/p>\n
Verdugo is not a perfect player, but he is great at making contact with the baseball, something that Atlanta’s centerfielder Michael Harris II has struggled with.<\/p>\n
In David O’Brien’s latest for The Athletic, he touched on the positive impact Verdugo has had on Harris at the plate.<\/p>\n
For the most part, Verdugo has manned the leadoff role for Atlanta, forcing Harris further down the lineup.<\/p>\n
Because they are both left-handed hitters, Verdugo has been able to give insights on how to hit left-handed pitching better for Harris. Verdugo constantly works on his craft.<\/p>\n
The thought was Jurickson Profar would help the Braves offense out, but it has been Verdugo of late.<\/p>\n
What people tend to forget is Harris is somewhat of a younger player in this game. He may have won NL Rookie of the Year in 2022, but he has missed ample time over the last few seasons due to injury.<\/p>\n
That point aside, he may not have had all that many at-bats at the Double-A level. If I recall correctly, he did not play a game for the Gwinnett Stripers at Triple-A before making his major league debut.<\/p>\n
Admittedly, I have been very harsh on Harris this season.<\/p>\n
He only just turned 24. Like me, he is an Atlanta area native.<\/p>\n
While I am hoping for the best for the Braves, only he has the ability to make any discernible difference for the team. I think what gets to me is the amount of Ford Bronco spots that show up on the local telecast.<\/p>\n
Couple that with the occasional awful day at the plate, it is just painful.<\/p>\n
Truth be told, Verdugo is not that much older than Harris.<\/p>\n
Then again, he has been in the big leagues since 2017. With this being the fourth blue-blood franchise he has played for, the spotlight has always been on the team the Tucson native has played for.<\/p>\n
He has come and gone with teams like the\u00a0Los Angeles Dodgers,\u00a0Boston Red Sox\u00a0and\u00a0New York Yankees, but Verdugo is an asset for the Braves.<\/p>\n
While I remain adamant that Verdugo is not panacea, he has provided some relief to the overall roster.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Whenever the Atlanta Braves do call someone up from the minors, they are usually ready to play. Believe or not, the Atlanta Braves have played better baseball… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":50779,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-50777","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb"],"yoast_head":"\n