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Evaluating the Atlanta Braves Current Outfield Options

By Trent Dickeson

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - MAY 19: Ronald Acuna Jr. #13 of the Atlanta Braves reacts after hitting a walk-off homer in the ninth inning against the New York Mets at Truist Park on May 19, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - MAY 19: Ronald Acuna Jr. #13 of the Atlanta Braves reacts after hitting a walk-off homer in the ninth inning against the New York Mets at Truist Park on May 19, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – APRIL 18: Guillermo Heredia #38 of the Atlanta Braves. (Photo by Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – APRIL 18: Guillermo Heredia #38 of the Atlanta Braves. (Photo by Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images) /

Braves Option 1: Guillermo Heredia

Guillermo Heredia started as a bright spot for this team. Look at his first two months in the Braves lineup:

  • April: .300/.429/.575
  • May: .282/.317/.436

That is pretty solid! It is definitely more than most would have expected of Heredia who most fans probably had not heard of before this season. It was certainly welcome considering the early season injuries to Pache and Inciarte that forced Heredia into action.

However, look at his numbers so far in June

  • .133/.212/.167

That is not so good. Heredia has hit a wall and while it could just be a slump, his career numbers suggest he was playing over his head those first two months.

Overall, Heredia is currently hitting .248/.333/.413 with two home runs, eighteen runs, twelve RBIs, .322 wOBA and a 103 wRC+. Before the season, people would have thrilled if Pache was providing these numbers at the plate.

However, those numbers are coming down as we see from his production in June. The magic wand may be running out and he is coming back to the career .240/.318/.350, .295 wOBA, and 86 wRC+ hitter.

On the base paths, Heredia has been valuable posting a 1.2 UBR. For comparison, Acuña currently sits at 1.8 UBR.

Defensively, Heredia has not been great. In 254.1 innings, he has a -1 DRS in center field which is a downgrade from what most think they would get from Pache. In 22 innings in left, Heredia sits at a 0 DRS, so while he is better there in a small sample, he still is not providing much value on the defensive side of the ball.

Overall, baseball reference has him as a 0.2 WAR player and FanGraphs gives him a 0.4 fWAR. Which is really about what one can expect from Heredia.

We should be thankful for the few weeks he gave us where he played out of his mind, but it looks like the time may be running out for Heredia.

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