While it is hard to imagine Ronald Acuña Jr. anywhere in the Braves lineup aside from the leadoff spot, the Braves may want to consider moving him in the lineup, perhaps swapping him with Michael Harris II.
Ronald Acuña Jr. leading off for the Atlanta Braves has become a staple in baseball.
Acuña hitting first for the Braves has bred many iconic moments in baseball over the past few years like his stretch of consecutive games with a lead-off homer, culminating in the Marlins drama, when starter Jose Ureña hit Ronald with a pitch that injured Acuña and forced him to leave the game.
Moments like that and many others have cemented Ronald Acuna Jr. as one of the best lead-off hitters in the league over the past few years, combining his great hitting abilities and speed to produce one of the scariest matchups if you are a starting pitcher making their first few pitches of the game.
Suggesting anyone to lead off for the Braves not named Ronald Acuña Jr. once he returned from his 2021 ACL tear at the beginning of the 2022 season may have seemed insane, but with his offensive production waning since his return to the team in May, a little shake-up in the lineup could be beneficial to everyone.
One Brave who could fill the lead-off slot if the Braves were to ever move away from Ronald hitting first could be rookie of the year candidate Michael Harris II.
Harris, who has been having an incredible rookie season, possesses many of the qualities that make Acuña such an exciting lead-off hitter including blazing speed and the ability to consistently hit for extra bases.
While its unlikely Brian Snitker and the rest of the Braves coaching staff decide to place Harris in the lead-off spot, I have examined the pros and cons to discern whether it is worth swapping the two standout outfielders in the lineup.