The situation:
Possibly the most intriguing facet of the 2020 Braves, the outfield is headlined by Ronald Acuna, who again should be an All-Star and MVP candidate. Acuna, arguably the most exciting player in baseball, is set to man right field in his third season.
The Braves signed power hitter Marcell Ozuna to a one-year deal in January, hoping he can replicate much of the offensive production lost when Josh Donaldson opted to sign with Minnesota. Ozuna’s presence changes the lineup and makes the group much more dangerous.
In signing Ozuna, the Braves scrapped plans to platoon Nick Markakis and Adam Duvall in left field. Ender Inciarte is penciled in at center, with the aforementioned duo now relegated to bench roles.
Acuna’s ability to play center gives the Braves’ an easy avenue to getting Markakis and Duvall playing time, but how they go about doing so over the course of the season will be interesting. We know Acuna and Ozuna will be playing nearly every day. It’s how the Braves handle their other outfielders that presents a fascinating wrinkle.
Roster locks (2019 stats):
Ronald Acuna (.280/.365/.518, 41 HR, 101 RBI)
Marcell Ozuna (.241/.328/.472, 29 HR, 89 RBI)
Ender Inciarte (.246/.343/.397, 5 HR, 24 RBI)
Nick Markakis (.285/.356/.420, 9 HR, 62 RBI)
On the Bubble:
Adam Duvall (non-guaranteed deal in spring training)
Austin Riley
Charlie Culberson
Rafael Ortega
Shane Robinson
Key stat: 40/40
Acuna will restart his race to join the 40-40 club (that’s homers and steals) on March 26. He fell three steals shy of the rare achievement last season. While the Braves’ success certainly doesn’t hinge on him reaching that mark, it’s a fun subplot to Acuna’s campaign – one that could reward him the MVP. He should be among the primary contenders.
Key player: Ozuna
The Braves know what Acuna will provide, but they don’t yet know how Ozuna will mesh with this group. They’ll hope for results similar to Josh Donaldson’s 2019 numbers – namely 37 homers and 94 RBIs – but would accept a sizable portion of those stats. It’d keep the Braves’ offense among the league’s best while setting Ozuna up for a nice payday when he returns to free agency next winter. The Braves feel Ozuna can be much better than a season ago and regain a semblance of his 2017 All-Star form, when the slugger hit .312 with 37 homers, 124 RBIs and a career-best .924 OPS.
What to watch for over the season:
What happens if Inciarte struggles or gets injured, as was the case last season? How will manager Brian Snitker handle everyone’s playing time? What if Markakis or Duvall earns himself a spurt of every-day playing time? How willing are the Braves to move one of their outfielders? Could the 26th man allow the Braves to carry an extra outfielder? There’s no shortage of questions with this group, and it’s undoubtedly a good-problem-to-have circumstance.
The Braves are blessed with great outfield depth, including slugger Austin Riley – a natural third baseman – and veteran journeymen Rafael Ortega, Peter O’Brien and Shane Robinson potentially in Triple-A. Utilityman Charlie Culberson, competing for a roster spot, can also play the outfield.
Above all, there’s the looming presences of top outfield prospects Cristian Pache (who’s on the 40-man) and Drew Waters. We all believe they’ll debut this season, but the path to consistent playing time isn’t so clear. Those situations usually work themselves out.
How the Braves solve their outfield logjam, and when Pache and Waters factor in, makes this group the most thought-provoking position on the team. But the bottom line is if Acuna and Ozuna produce as hoped, the Braves will happily figure out the rest.
