CHICAGO — Braves shortstop Orlando Arcia making versatile, athletic plays in the infield has become a common sight.
A low-handed, twisting grab. A twirling throw to first base. A sliding catch quickly turned around. It’s all in his arsenal, and it’s all been key for the Braves this season.
“I don’t think he gets enough credit in the industry as to what he’s doing, what he’s meant for us and what he’s done, how he’s played shortstop,” manager Brian Snitker said.
Arcia has emerged as a defensive cornerstone for the Braves over the past two seasons, sharpening his abilities en route to his first All-Star appearance in 2023. He ranks second among MLB shortstops in outs above average, which is a range-based metric that accounts for the difficulty of plays made. In 2023, Arcia ranked 10th.
Arcia won the starting shortstop role in spring training 2023, left open after Dansby Swanson departed for Chicago.
Swanson said he isn’t surprised by Arcia’s breakout.
“He was always finding ways to get better and staying ready for whatever opportunity would come his way,” Swanson told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Arcia, via Braves interpreter Franco Garcia, said he has worked hard each day to improve. He hasn’t surprised himself at all, saying he prepared for this.
The 29-year-old grew up playing baseball in Venezuela, following in the footsteps of older brother and former MLB outfielder Oswaldo Arcia. The two weren’t competitive, Arcia said. Rather, he called his brother his “inspiration” in making it to the big leagues. Arcia said his brother taught him to support his teammates in every way possible.
Another inspiration for Arcia’s success: his twin daughters. They attend almost all of his games, he said, and he wants to play well to give them the best that they deserve.
Aside from his defensive breakout, Arcia also has shined on offense. He took Cubs pitcher Javier Assad deep in the second inning Tuesday, sending the ball well into Wrigley Field’s bleachers on a 420-feet blast. He also doubled later that matchup, prompting yells from Cubs fans as the hit escaped right fielder Seiya Suzuki.
His .212 batting average since May 13, the start of the Braves’ most recent homestand, is a slight improvement from the beginning of the month (May 1-12) when he batted .188.
Cubs manager Craig Counsell was plenty familiar with Arcia before his success in the teams’ recent series. Counsell managed Arcia in Milwaukee from 2016-21 before the shortstop was traded to the Braves only four games into 2021.
Counsell said Arcia’s swing decisions and pitch recognition have improved the most in recent seasons, saying it comes with seeing thousands of more pitches.
Arcia’s defense, however? It always was strong, Counsell said.
“He’s the same player defensively to me,” Counsell said. “That is just a super instinctual player. He’s got instincts that are as good as anybody in the game.”
Arcia consistently played the majority of his final three seasons in Milwaukee, 2018-20, helping the Brewers reach the NLCS in 2018. He said his experience in Milwaukee taught him the importance of hard work, which he continues to embrace in Atlanta.
But the seriousness with which he takes his craft doesn’t extend to the clubhouse. Swanson said Arcia was a great teammate who never was short on laughter.
“He was always talking trash to somebody or loud-mouthing and keeping everything light and fun,” Swanson said. “You can see it in how he plays. It’s definitely a joy to be around.”
As the Braves offense looks to return to form, success in the field remains important as ever. Arcia isn’t content with settling, either. He’ll keep pushing, searching for new improvements as the season progresses.
