While the Atlanta Braves only have a handful of players competing for spots this spring training, the performance of one starter penned in for Opening Day might be cause for reconsideration at one position. After a disastrous 2024, Orlando Arcia entered camp looking to show that last season was just an off year.
Unfortunately, his spring training stats show that the hitter he was last year might just be who he is going forward. If this continues into the regular season, the Braves might need to start making alternate plans for shortstop as soon as possible.
Orlando Arcia's woeful spring should have Braves looking for alternative options
Last season, the Braves starting shortstop slashed .218/.271/.354 (72 wRC+) in 157 games. Despite above-average defense, he only accumulated 0.8 fWAR because of his offensive performance.
Normally, a team like the Braves, who are in a prime contention window, would look to upgrade at the position, but given the abundance of injuries in 2024, as well as Arcia's offensive production the previous two seasons, the hope was that a fuller lineup with less need to rely on the 30-year-old would result in a bounce back season.
However, through nine games this spring, the results have not been pretty. In 18 plate appearances, the shortstop only has one hit and has only reached base three times, resulting in a .067/.222/.067 slashline.
Arcia has managed to avoid striking out, with just a 5.6% rate, which means he has been unlucky on balls in play, but he hasn't necessarily been hitting the ball hard.
For instance, on paper, a lineout to an infielder might seem like poor luck, but after watching the at bat, it's clear that this was a relatively easy out for the Tampa Bay Rays.
Spring training stats, of course, should be taken with a grain of salt. After all, both Trea Turner and Carlos Correa have lower batting averages this spring training than Arcia, and no one is predicting these perpetual 4 WAR players are about to fall off a cliff.
With Arcia, however, this start to spring training should at least have the Braves looking for contengency options if his bat continues to struggle once the games do begin to matter. The in-house options are limited, with Nick Allen likely not being a legitimate full-time solution, and Nacho Alvarez Jr. essentially being a wild card in how well his bat will play in the majors, as well as his glove.
The shortstop free agent market next season also looks fairly weak, and the one possible option for this season in Bo Bichette could result in a massive overpay if the Braves are able to trade for the slugging shortstop, but are not able to extend him.
Essentially, a poor start out of the gate by Arcia could spell trouble for the Braves, and the available shortstops might have the front office wishing they were more proactive over the last two seasons in finding replacement.