Braves 2021 Player Previews: Johan Camargo Could Be Most Important Bench Piece

As the Braves look for supporting players, Johan Camargo must find a way to be as impactful as possible in order to be the most important piece on the Braves bench. 

After the acquisition of Marcell Ozuna this past weekend, the Atlanta Braves seem to be pretty set in terms of starters for each position. Ozuna’s signing means that Austin Riley will be looked at as the starting third baseman, which to be honest, was not a point of contention.

But can their bench pieces be productive? One name on that bench is Johan Camargo. It is not unreasonable to say that Camargo has not been able to put everything together long enough to be considered for a starting role.

Things just began to fall short for Camargo as he saw less action as the years have gone on. A few injuries here and there, the Josh Donaldson signing, Riley’s 2019 showcase, as well as Adeiny Hechavarria‘s presence in 2019 and 2020 contributed to that being the case for Camargo.

The 2020 season was not one to remember for Camargo as he appeared in 35 games with a .200 BA, an OPS of .611, a -0.2 WAA, and a WAR of 0.3. He also managed to have 4 HR and 9 RBI with a 59 wRC+.

So with the rollercoaster of performances from Camargo in the past, it is time for him to step it up and possibly have an opportunity to be the key player on the bench.

The door may be wide open for Camargo to take the spot of clutch utility guy as no real signings were made this offseason to secure the bench, leaving Camargo and a handful of others to take care of business when needed.

Can Camargo turn the page and begin to become that impact bench player the Braves need? He certainly has the potential, but let’s check out the projections for Camargo’s 2021 season.