It’s no secret the Atlanta Braves are at their best when Austin Riley’s in their lineup. And while his return on Tuesday means that the Braves’ lineup is better and more dangerous in the short-term, it also shouldn’t stop the team from making some decisions that could be for the best of the future of the team.
One of those decisions should be making sure that Nacho Alvarez continues to get chances to excel at the major league level.
Austin Riley’s return to the Braves shouldn’t overshadow Nacho Alvarez’s progress
Alvarez earned his latest MLB chance earlier this month when he was recalled from the minor leagues when Riley was placed on the injured list earlier this month with an abdomen injury. It marked the second tour of MLB duty for Alvarez (the Braves’ No. 6 prospect per MLB Pipeline) after he went 3-for-30 in eight MLB games last year.
While his stats this year leave a bit to be desired (.227 average, one double), he’s looked much more comfortable on the diamond and carried himself with the confidence of someone who believes they should be in MLB.
His best game came on July 18 when he made a diving catch into the tarp down the left field line along with being on the receiving end of one of the best throws of Ronald Acuña Jr.’s career.
Although all of Alvarez’s appearances this season have come at the hot corner, he appeared in seven games at second base last year and has primarily played as a shortstop in the minor leagues.
While it may be tempting for the Braves to staple him to the bench in favor of some more established veterans, this has become a development season whether they like it or not, which means that’s time to let guys like Alvarez get more playing time.
The front office may force the team’s hand in that regard based on how things go at the trade deadline, but Brian Snitker and his staff should still do everything in their power to get Alvarez everyday playing time.
Alvarez is a career .286 hitter in the minors and was hitting .361 in 11 games at Triple-A prior to being recalled, so it’s clear that his offense is there; it’s just taken him a bit of time to settle against major league pitching.
Riley was on a tear prior to getting hurt so the Braves should have enough offense to be able to afford to give Alvarez a shot. It may not help them next year, but the 2026 iteration of the Braves will be better for it.