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Atlanta Braves 2019 Free Agency Preview: Outfield

By Kyle Walter

<> at SunTrust Park on September 22, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia.
<> at SunTrust Park on September 22, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. /
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CLEVELAND, OH – OCTOBER 08: Michael Brantley #23 of the Cleveland Indians hits a sacrifice fly ball in the third inning to score Yan Gomes #7 (not pictured) against the Houston Astros during Game Three of the American League Division Series at Progressive Field on October 8, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH – OCTOBER 08: Michael Brantley #23 of the Cleveland Indians hits a sacrifice fly ball in the third inning to score Yan Gomes #7 (not pictured) against the Houston Astros during Game Three of the American League Division Series at Progressive Field on October 8, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /

Indian in the Outfield

Michael Brantley may not be a name many of you have thought about recently, but he just finished playing his first full season since 2014.

In that fantastic season, he batted .327 with 20 home runs, 23 stolen bases, 94 runs, .385 OBP, and 6.5 fWAR.

The year after he missed 20 games, and the numbers went down. Then he missed nearly all of 2016 after having shoulder surgery in November of 2015.  He actually returned early that year, but another rash of injuries forced him to play only 11 games that year. He returned midway through 2017 to play 90 games.

I’m sure many of you are asking yourselves why I would want a player with this kind of injury history. Well, he played a 143 game season this year, and the results were very encouraging. He batted .309 with a .364 OBP, and slugged 17 home runs.

Another reason that he is a great target for the Braves is that he is only 31.  Now, I realize that 31 (turns 32 in mid-May) is still on the wrong side of 30. However, the man he would be replacing (Markakis) is 34… and there hasn’t been a lot of mileage on him since 2015.  That age profile fits better with the age of the current team core.

I like to provide a visual for every player I analyze, so here’s video of 2 Brantley grand slams this season hit in the same way to nearly the same part of the ballpark. Clips are from the Indians official page and Fox Sports: MLB.

https://twitter.com/MLBONFOX/status/995105427296731137

Each swing is nearly exactly the same, and looks great. Our next target is from a state a little less breezy than Cleveland this time of year.

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