Atlanta Braves: 3 players that surprised us in 2019
We take a look at three players who surprised us in 2019 to help the Atlanta Braves repeat as National League East champions.
In a 2019 season that was filled with both surprise and disappointment (at the end, anyway) there were many Atlanta Braves that were excellent.
And there were a few that didn’t quite hit the mark in terms of fan expectations and likely, organizational expectations.
We’ll hit on those players that were a surprise to the fan base- players that we may not have expected to achieve at such a high level, but they made a huge difference in the team repeating as National League East Division Champions.
Josh Donaldson
Come on, admit it, you were probably among the Atlanta Braves fans that hated the signing of Josh Donaldson. Don’t worry – you were not alone in that thought process.
It was a head-scratcher for many fans, especially with Johan Camargo coming off a banner, even a breakout season, and wonder child Austin Riley waiting in the wings.
It seemed as if the team was set at third base, and potentially, set at the position for a long time.
Instead, Alex Anthopoulos went for the signing that he called ‘the best value’ when he signed Josh Donaldson to a one-year, $23 million dollar deal. WHAT. A. YAHTZEE.
Donaldson was a monster among men in 2019 for the Atlanta Braves. After a relatively slow start, he finished with a .259 average, 37 home runs, and 94 RBI.
Those numbers include a .521 slugging percentage and a .900 OPS.
The numbers were not too far off from his stretch from 2015-2017 where he was second in WAR only to Mike Trout.
A case could be made that Josh Donaldson was the Atlanta Braves MVP, and he could certainly be discussed as maybe even one of the top five most valuable players in the National League.
Related Story. Donaldson was Braves MVP. light
It wasn’t only the statistical output that helped put the team forward. Donaldson gave the Atlanta Braves a fire that they hadn’t previously had and a loud, outspoken leader that helped propel them in the right direction.
If Donaldson wasn’t signed, or if he didn’t produce at the level that he did, I don’t see the Atlanta Braves winning the NL East in 2019.
The Bringer of Rain returned to form after a calf injury that hobbled him with the Cleveland Indians and limited him to just 52 games in 2018. He erased any doubts that he wasn’t the same.
And now, there aren’t many Atlanta Braves fans that wouldn’t want him back on the team and would be willing to pay for him.
Now, he’ll likely command 3 years and at least a slightly better annual salary. I think the Atlanta Braves could nab him at 3 yrs/$75 million, especially with reports that there is mutual interest that he would return to Atlanta.
Austin Riley was a fine outfielder and if he can find his bat consistently, he’s good to go at that position in my mind.
Johan Camargo can be a valuable bench piece again.
I’d be comfortable with Donaldson all the way. I don’t view Anthony Rendon as an option because I think the Nationals will pay him – plus, with their success in the postseason and his immense fan following in our nation’s capital, he will stay put.
Adam Duvall
By all accounts, Adam Duvall looked like a has-been for the Atlanta Braves in 2018. After an All-Star campaign with the Cincinnati Reds in 2016 and back-to-back 30 home run seasons that year and 2017, he was a budding star, or at least, a premium power bat.
However, things sharply declined afterwards.
After the Atlanta Braves acquired him for Matt Wisler, Preston Tucker, and Lucas Sims, he hit just .132, looking completely lost at the plate.
In the 2019 offseason, Duvall was tendered a contract for $3 million, and then after a less than inspiring spring, spent most of the 2019 season in Triple-A with the Gwinnett Stripers.
He was able to get things going in the minors, hitting .266 with 32 home runs and 92 RBI over 101 games.
Injuries in the outfield to Nick Markakis and then Ender Inciarte and a slumping Austin Riley translated into an opportunity for Duvall.
Over 120 at-bats, he hit .266 and socked 10 home runs. That earned him a spot on the postseason roster.
Then, on the biggest stage, he did not disappoint.
In game two of the NLDS, he launched a two-run home run off Jack Flaherty to increase the Atlanta Braves lead that led to a win.
And then in game three, it was Duvall who supplied a two-run single off Carlos Martinez in the 9th to again, give the Atlanta Braves the lead, and eventually, the win.
Playing the hero in two postseason games after spending most of the year riding a bus in Triple-A had to have a redeeming feeling.
All-in-all, it wasn’t a bad year for a guy who had to swallow his pride in the minor leagues.
Duvall is under team control through arbitration, so the Atlanta Braves would appear wise to retain him to be at the least a valuable bench piece or fill-in player.
Mike Soroka
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Did anyone really know for sure that Mike Soroka was going to be in the Cy Young discussion? Or according to the ‘professionals,’ just outside of it?
A prospect is just that – a prospect. In this case, an arm with potential, but until they prove themselves with results, they’re just a ‘Four-A’ guy. Or worse, they’ll eventually become ‘organizational depth.’
Mike Soroka did contend for the Cy Young in 2019, and so much more.
He was the ace of a young and still budding Atlanta Braves staff. He rose above them all – Max Fried, Julio Teheran, Mike Foltynewicz and even 13-million dollar man Dallas Keuchel as the best pitcher the team had to offer.
Soroka racked up 13 wins against 4 losses, registered a 2.68 earned run average, struck out 142 batters in over a healthy 174.2 innings and was worth a whopping 5.6 WAR.
Oh, and he was the All-Star team in his rookie season.
Soroka delivered a gem in the postseason, too. In game three of the NLCS he allowed just two hits and one run over seven innings, striking out seven.
It’s worth noting that Marcell Ozuna’s double, a 69.2 mph rocket off the bat, was the run that was eventually plated via a sacrifice fly.
Now, at age 22, Soroka will look to anchor a rotation for years to come, and perhaps, he’ll be the Atlanta Braves next version of Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, or John Smoltz.
It’s easy to forget that Soroka was sidelined with the vague injury of ‘shoulder fatigue’ in June of 2018, and again was shut down in Spring Training briefly with shoulder tendonitis. Yet, he produced the season that he did.
Next. Was Josh Donaldson the Braves MVP in 2019?. dark
Despite an ugly ending to the 2019 season, there’s reason to perk up — the future is still incredibly bright, and hopefully includes all three of these players in 2020.