DENVER – When Ryan Flaherty signed with the Braves on their last day of spring training in Florida, the former Orioles utility man never envisioned he’d be starting the first eight games of the season, much less having 12 hits and the fifth-best on-base percentage in the major leagues in that span.
“I don’t know if I’ve ever played seven or eight in a row,” said Flaherty, thrust into the opening-day third-base job after Johan Camargo was slow to recover from a strained oblique. “It’s nice to go out there and help the team.”
Flaherty, 31, helped the Braves and their majors-leading offense – yes, that still seems difficult to fathom -- to a 5-3 start before Sunday, when he was out of the lineup for the first time so that utility man Charlie Culberson could get a start at third base.
The Braves began Sunday with a majors-leading 58 runs, tied for the modern-era franchise record through eight games, and also led the majors in batting average (.291) and on-base percentage (.375). Their 82 hits were more than any other team that had played eight or fewer games before Sunday, and 12 of those hits (including four doubles) came from Flaherty, batting .414 and tied with the Cubs’ Kris Bryant for the National League hits lead before Sunday.
Braves slugger Freddie Freeman led the majors with a .564 OBP before Sunday and Flaherty was fifth with a .514 mark. Yes, Ryan Flaherty, right there between Robinson Cano (.517) and Didi Gregorius (.513).
Flaherty had a .215 career average and .284 OBP in six seasons with Baltimore.
“I’ve known who he is for a long time, so I’m not really surprised,” said Braves shortstop Dansby Swanson, who attended Vanderbilt University, as Flaherty did before him. “He’s always been good at what he does, always been a true pro, always been put in bunch of different situations and positions and circumstances and he’s always done a good job thriving in that, and he’s a good teammate.
“So when you combine all that and what he brings to the team, I’m not surprised at how he’s flourished in that role.”
When it was mentioned to Flaherty that he’s surprised a lot of people but probably not himself, Flaherty smiled and conceded, “No, I did (surprise myself).
“It’s exciting. From the top to the bottom (of the lineup), it’s really where we got the ball rolling early and kind of kept it going. Getting contributions from a lot of people, and it’s been fun to be part of for the first week and a half.”
Flaherty is the brother-in-law of Braves veteran right fielder Nick Markakis – he’s married to the sister of Markakis’ wife – and the two were teammates in Baltimore (2012-2014) before Markakis signed as a free agent with the Braves.
Flaherty didn’t sign with the Braves until March 25, after spending almost all of spring training with the Phillies and using an opt-out clause in his minor league contract when it became apparent he wasn’t going to make their 25-man roster. He signed a major league deal with the Braves and quickly became assimilated with his new teammates.
“Yeah, it was a very easy transition. Obviously Nick helped with that,” said Flaherty, who was perhaps also helped by the fact that he and the team have played so well to start the season, their offense among the bigger surprises in baseball. “It’s all I’ve seen. So it’s like, wow, these guys can hit. And it’s been fun to be part of, for sure.”
Swanson said Flaherty’s smooth transition to the Braves has been “Phenomenal. Almost like the Big City (Matt Adams) situation last year, bringing a guy over that fits well personality-wise and positionally he just makes sense. He’s added a lot to us, so we’re very thankful for that.”
Flaherty, always known for his strong defense at a variety of infield and corner-outfield positons, has surpassed offensive expectations to such a degree that the Braves have extended Camargo’s minor league rehab assignment, which initially was expected to last only into the first road series against Colorado. Camargo won’t be activated before at least the final series of the three-city trip.
“Yeah, I mean, I’m not totally sure of the situation and everything,” Flaherty said, “but just to try to help the team. Whatever they want me to do, I’ll do.”
