Jim Jarvis continues looking like the answer at shortstop for the Braves

Jim Jarvis has provided the jolt at shortstop that the Braves have sought since Orlando Arcia’s All-Star first half in 2023. The position has really lacked dynamism since Dansby Swanson’s departure following the 2022 campaign.

It’s a small sample, but what a treat this has been for Braves enthusiasts. Jarvis even has the essence, his blonde hair lusciously flowing from the back of his helmet after each clutch hit.

Jarvis delivered again late Wednesday with a go-ahead RBI double that sparked a six-run eighth inning en route to a 7-6 victory over his hometown Padres. The win ensured the Braves of at least a split of the four-game set.

“Getting a hit at this level is thrilling enough; the coolest part of it was seeing everybody behind me keep getting hits,” Jarvis said. “The excitement never ended.”

He’s now hitting .308 with an .826 OPS while playing elite defense over 17 games. For all that’s gone wrong for the Braves at that position, they’ve stumbled into some good fortune here.

The magnificence of Jarvis is difficult to overstate. A nondescript Alabama product, he was acquired via a once-forgettable deal with the Tigers last summer in which the Braves discarded struggling reliever Rafael Montero.

Jarvis debuted earlier this season in two games when the team was on the west coast. He’s making his mark now, taking control of a shortstop spot that’s been a void for two consecutive years.

He’s hit .302 with a homer, triple and four doubles since returning earlier this month. It’s just 13 games, but he couldn’t have made a much better impression.

“It’d be a little crazy to say I expect this,” he said, laughing. “This is what I’ve been dreaming about, thinking about my entire life, especially growing up with two brothers who also played baseball. This was always the goal, and getting to live it out is always fun.”

The “Jimmy Baseball” nickname, popularized by fans and the Braves Vision broadcast, actually predates the recent hype. Jarvis was coined Jimmy Baseball in his youth (and has photographic evidence).

“When I was two (years old), that’s what they called me,” he said. “Mainly because I was like a little bobblehead running around the field. It was just a dumb nickname. But I think it’s funny. You can’t complain about it; it’s a good nickname.”

And so, Jimmy Baseball is the newest recipient of fan embrace. While he angered his friends back home in San Diego, punishing their beloved Padres, he further endeared himself to those down South.

Jarvis reminds us there’s charm in the ordinary. He lacks the distinctive traits that typically separate professional athletes. At 5-foot-9, 190 pounds, he resembles someone who’d be writing about baseball rather than playing it.

He’s happily married to the love of his life Maddie, who’s wholeheartedly supported his striving. He doesn’t watch many sports, instead tuning into whatever hot show is streaming, from Ozark to Ted Lasso to The Bear.

It’s the perceived normalness that makes his success additionally satisfying. He’s someone maximizing his God-graced abilities, from his exceptional baseball IQ to his propensity for a good at-bat to his defense, which will be the calling card that keeps him in the majors for years to come.

“There’s a lot to like there from what we’ve seen,” manager Walt Weiss said. “He’s shown a knack for knowing how to play the game.”

His future nevertheless remains a question.

Veteran Ha-Seong Kim, the $20 million man on a rehab assignment in Triple-A Gwinnett, is due back by Aug. 2. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to justify him regaining his shortstop spot at someone else’s – potentially Jarvis’ – expense.

Jarvis has options remaining, so functionally the team could send him back to Triple-A and reinsert Kim. But if this performance continues, it’d be a tough sell to a clubhouse that’s understandably taken quickly to Jarvis. Kim was hitting .068 with a .239 OPS in 27 games.

These weeks have been “fast,” Jarvis said. He’s acknowledged the surrealness of what’s unfolded. But he won’t delve into the long-term ramifications.

Jarvis emphasized the day-by-day approach, saying it’s trouble to begin looking too far ahead. “I’m terrible about that outside the field, my wife hates it,” he said. “But I have to be here and now.”

Time will tell. Weiss, asked about how Jarvis could sustain success, responded:

“I just think the quality of the at-bats. He understands how to take an at-bat. There’s not a lot of chase, he forces guys to stay in the zone. He’ll draw a walk. He’ll take an at-bat according to the scoreboard.

“There’s some feel for the game there. I think if you’re going to play in the middle of the field, especially at shortstop, you have to have a high baseball IQ. He’s shown that already.”

It was 1-1 in the bottom of the eighth. Left fielder Mauricio Dubon singled then scored on Jarvis’ double off Wandy Peralta. Journeyman Brewer Hicklen followed with his own double to score a third run.

Five more Braves reached, and within minutes a 1-1 pitching stalemate was a six-run lead, a lead that Braves relievers Victor Mederos and Raisel Iglesias barely protected in the top of the ninth.

Martín Pérez made his first start since July 5 when he exited after taking a comebacker off his left forearm. He pitched four scoreless innings, allowing one hit, striking out three but walking four against a topsy turvy Padres offense.

The Braves need Pérez right now. Imagine being told that in February; then again, perhaps one would’ve believed it considering the outrage over the team’s lack of rotation additions. Better yet, imagine being told that when the club designated him for assignment in April.