Major League Baseball

2017 Atlanta Braves: Improving in the Field, Part 2

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Aug 21, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Braves shortstop Dansby Swanson (2) celebrates after scoring against the Washington Nationals during the third inning at Turner Field. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

I’ve been looking to 2017 for our Atlanta Braves in 3 different posts prior to this one. Today we finish this series.

In the pieces above, we’ve looked at solutions for the Atlanta Braves pitching staff and potentially improving around the horn for catching, 1st base, 2nd base, and 3rd base. Now we take a gander at the rest of the positions.

Shortstop – It’s All About the Hair

Dansby Swanson:

The Good- Good glove, good bat, and young and controllable. Beautiful luscious hair.

The Bad- None that I can see yet. He’s likely not going to be a perennial all-star as there are many shortstop studs in the big leagues right now, but he’ll hold his own offensively and defensively. I expect a 3-4 WAR player long-term.

[ Editor’s note: have you noticed so far in Swanson’s play that while he doesn’t seem to be doing a lot of ‘Hey! Notice Me!’ things, he still seems to be right in the middle of everything good that happens for the Braves on the field? ]

Sep 17, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Braves left fielder Matt Kemp (27) is hit by a pitch against the Washington Nationals in the fifth inning at Turner Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Left Field

Matt Kemp:

The Good- Matt has an .853 OPS since getting out of the worst hitters’ park in the MLB and doesn’t seem to be slowing down. He’s given the offense a boost that is undeniable no matter what advanced metric you’re married to, and I’m as guilty of this as anyone.

The Bad- His nickname is “The Bison” and after seeing his defense, I can see why. It’s bad right now and it does look like he’s just grazing. Getting in shape is a must this off-season, otherwise all those sexy offensive numbers he produces seem lackluster in comparison to the runs he’s giving up in the field.

Center Field

More from Tomahawk Take

Ender Inciarte:

The Good- An elite defensive CFer that seems to have an Andrelton-esque IQ in the field. He’s also capable of a good OBP as he’s shown since June putting up a .370ish OBP. He’s sporting a 3.6 WAR which is good for 2nd on the Braves behind Freddie. In my opinion, he’s a piece to build around if the Braves’ philosophy is still be be strong up the middle.

The Bad- There isn’t much, but for someone so fast, he hasn’t been that much of a plus on the basepaths as his SB% isn’t great and some of his decisions while on base have been best described as questionable.

Right Field

Nick Markakis:

The Good- A steady .750ish OPS presence that can be placed in the lineup regularly and no matter the handedness of the pitcher, he can produce at nearly the same level. His defense isn’t elite, but he rarely makes mistakes that give extra bases. He has produced a 1.3 WAR this year, which puts him on pace to be worth slightly more than his contract.

The Bad- In this day of baseball, it is my opinion that a right fielder should, at the minimum, be a plus-plus defender with an average bat, or a plus-plus hitter with an average glove. Nick is average and average. There are teams that would bite on Nick should the Braves make him available, and I think they should.

Jun 17, 2016; New York City, NY, USA; Atlanta Braves left fielder Mallex Smith (17) attempts to steal second base against New York Mets starting pitcher Matt Harvey (33) during the fifth inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Fixing 2016’s Problems for 2017

Solution 4 (previous 3 from prior article)– Trade Markakis, move Mallex Smith to CF, Inciarte to RF, and Kemp to LF or Trade Markakis, move Mallex to LF, keep Inciarte in CF, put Kemp in RF

Reasoning– As discussed before, Markakis is a good, steady player. He’s middle of the pack in RF WAR and middle of the pack in almost every statistical category out there. Mallex has a chance to be an impact fielder and hitter if he continues to build on last year’s numbers.

Overall, Mallex is still raw and is going to continue to make some mistakes that drive us all a bit loony, but the potential of adding a 2-3 WAR speedster that could blossom into a 4-5 WAR speedster is much better than expecting average production.

And solution 4.5…

Get Matt Kemp in shape!

That’s it folks! Hope you liked the pieces! Let’s say it together! 1, 2,3…

Go Braves!

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