It almost doesn’t feel real, but next week, pitchers and catchers will report to Spring Training, and soon after that, exhibition games will begin. In the blink of an eye, Opening Day will be here, as the Braves aim to reclaim the NL East crown after losing the division for the first time in seven years.
Every Spring Training comes with a number of talking points, but this one is especially intriguing for the Braves. With so many key pieces departing in free agency, there will be open competitions for a number of roster spots, featuring candidates with a wide array of backgrounds. Some of which need to make the roster just to remain with the organization.
For Braves fans, this series will provide a watch list for everything you should be keeping an eye on this Spring Training, which will be easier to watch than ever before. Thanks to a number of new developments, 26 of the Braves 30 Spring Training games will be available on cable television or through streaming services, the most ever by a large margin.Â
The New Guy In Town
The Braves still have some time to make some moves, and I would expect them to add at least one more new face before the start of the season. But right now, Jurickson Profar is the only offseason addition of note.
The soon-to-be 32-year-old patches up the Bravess biggest off-season hole in the outfield, giving the group a very promising outlook once Ronald Acuña Jr. returns from the torn ACL he suffered last season. For fans, it’s always exciting to get a first look at a new player, especially one as talented and energetic as Jurickson Profar.
However, there are also baseball reasons to keep an eye on Profar this Spring Training. He’s had a tumultuous career, which began as the top prospect in all of baseball, reaching the majors in 2012 as a 19-year-old when he was still a shortstop. The expectation was for him to become MLB’s next star, but he never recorded more than 1.7 WAR until ten years later with the Padres.
Profar then parlayed that season into a one-year deal with the Rockies, where he was one of the worst starting players in all of baseball before returning to San Diego last season and making his first All-Star appearance and winning his first Silver Slugger.
Profar’s track record would suggest some pretty severe regression could be in line. However, he made significant changes to his swing last season, leading to increased power and a far better Hard Hit %.
Jurickson Profar 2024 Offensive Profile
- xBA — 92nd percentile
- xSLG — 72nd percentile
- AVG Exit Velocity — 80th percentile
- Hard Hit % — 71st percentile
- Chase % — 90th percentile
- Whiff % — 90th percentile
- K % — 88th percentile
- BB % — 89th percentile
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Profar has always been a guy that can get on base, willing to take his walks and avoid striking out. However, the power surge he experienced last year, which led to a career-high 24 homers, was a new development in his 11th season.
Is it sustainable? The Braves bet $42 million that it is, and we’ll get our first look at Jurickson Profar in a couple of weeks.
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Photo: Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire
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