Bringer of Rain
Josh Donaldson needs no introduction for Braves country. The 34-year-old slugger endeared himself to the fans with his umbrella carrying antics and the clear spark that he brought to the lineup on a day-to-day basis.
I am still surprised that Donaldson remains unsigned after a sterling 2019 campaign.
In a return to form, Donaldson batted .259 with 37 home runs and a .900 OPS. He is clearly the best infielder left on the free agent market.
Donaldson received a $23 million, one-year deal from the Atlanta Braves going into the 2019 season, and I have to admit I was skeptical for much of the first month of the year.
After some early struggles, the Braves headed into Sunday night baseball versus the Indians.
https://twitter.com/espn/status/1120118372971237381
The Bringer of rain went deep twice in that game, and both homers were impressive long shots in the spacious confines of Progressive Field. I think that game was a turning point in his season.
While his batting average would be tough to recover, his OBP would remain in the high .300s and his final numbers were good enough to earn him the NL comeback player of the year award.
Besides his offensive production, Donaldson is an amazing defensive third baseman. Throughout the year, he constantly made plays that made my jaw drop. He also had a fielding percentage of .969, which was the highest of his career for a full season.
If you can’t tell, I’m trying to reach a certain audience here, one who has much more control over the actions of the Braves then someone like me. If you’re listening, please give the man whatever he wants!