Last season, Freddie Freeman won the National League MVP while hitting second in the lineup for nearly half the 60-game slate. It took only 10 games into 2021 for the Braves to shift him back into that spot.
Freeman hit .390 (39-for-100) there in 26 games last season. He was the best player on arguably the most productive offense in Braves history. The Braves went 17-9 and averaged nearly seven runs a game when Freeman moved up in the order. They came within 12 outs of the NL pennant during their deepest postseason run in two decades.
But with the universal designated hitter removed in 2021, the Braves shifted Freeman back into his traditional third spot – until Tuesday, when they made several lineup adjustments before hosting the Marlins in the second contest of a four-game series.
Freeman replaced Ozzie Albies in the second spot. Albies has hit .128 through the first 10 games and was dropped to fifth in the order. Marcell Ozuna was bumped up to third – where he wreaked havoc in 2020 – and Travis d’Arnaud returned to cleanup, where he also found success a year ago. So the Braves returned to the top four in the order that they established during the shortened campaign, hoping it yields similar results this time around.
The Braves are off to a hot-and-cold (but mostly the latter) start at the plate. Perhaps a fresh look was needed.
“I just kept seeing all these situations where Freddie could be coming up hitting,” manager Brian Snitker said. “We’re not hitting on all cylinders offensively, obviously, and you never know. Just changing the scenery of where you are in the lineup might prove to be a good thing. These guys are going to hit and, hopefully, changing the scenery is good for them.”
As the Braves have repeatedly mentioned, the lineup is fluid across the marathon season. This is the first sizable tweak the team has made, and it’s unlikely to be the last.
Notes from Tuesday:
- Utilityman Ehire Adrianza was in the starting lineup for the first time in 2021, manning third base in place of Austin Riley. Adrianza is 2-for-5 with a homer and three RBIs so far, continuing the success he had in spring training.
“Give Austin a day, let him relax,” Snitker said of Riley, who’s hitting .188 without an extra-base hit. “He’s down there in the cage now. Just sit and watch, relax himself for a day.”
- One lineup adjustment that won’t be made: Ronald Acuna moving from leadoff. The Braves last did that in 2019, with Snitker later calling it a foolish move on his part. Acuna’s early success has enabled the Braves to alter the rest of their lineup.
“I’m done with that,” Snitker said of moving Acuna. “I think him doing what he’s doing allows us to make this change today. He’s a big reason why we’re able to do what we’re going to do today. Do you expect him to hit .450 this year? Probably not, but the maturity, the growth I’ve seen in this kid this year, there’s no reason why he can’t continue on and have an unbelievable year. He’s one of the things that’s allowed us to make this lineup change today.”
- Snitker didn’t mince words: “I hate April, quite honestly.” He was referring to the usual overreactions that cloud the baseball sphere throughout the season’s first month. Snitker estimated one can begin making proper evaluations around six weeks or 45 games into a season.
- An overshadowed moment in Monday’s loss: Pablo Sandoval had another productive pinch-hit at-bat. He entered in the seventh and battled his way to a 10-pitch walk. It kept the inning moving, and the Braves eventually tacked on another run, though they wound up relinquishing their 3-1 lead in a 5-3 loss.
Nonetheless, Sandoval’s at-bat again showed how valuable he can be as a bench contributor.
“Great at-bat,” Snitker said. “Just missed a couple. That was a really, really good pro at-bat. The guy has been awesome in that role. Just awesome. The guy stays ready, understands situations and is a very dangerous pinch-hitter.”
- An observation by Adam Chodzko, director of communications with the Angels, on Twitter: Acuna is among the player photos displayed “front and center” at MLB’s headquarters in New York. He’s positioned adjacent to Mike Trout, baseball’s consensus best player. It’s another testament to where Acuna stands in the baseball world. At age 23, he’s already risen to superstardom.
