Marcell Ozuna
Now, Marcell Ozuna is an interesting choice here. He is having a great spring as the Braves DH. In 11 games played, he's batting .407 with 11 hits including a double, a home run, and an RBI. He's walked two times while striking out 10 which is to be expected for most power hitters.
How would his role potentially be affected by Duvall? Well, Adam presents the Braves with a second designated hitter option in the event something were to happen to Marcell whether that be injury or a drop in performance.
Travis d'Arnaud has been a great option for the Braves to fill that role in recent years but you want him to be able to focus on catching more than anything if possible. Adam provides the team with a great power option who is used to what it takes to perform daily.
I don't know that Ozuna is going to revert to being the bad version of himself at the plate but this is baseball and you never know when things could go awry.
Jarred Kelenic
The most obvious answer to this question is Jarred Kelenic as he's expected to platoon with Adam Duvall in left field. The Braves haven't said for sure how much playing time each player will get but I imagine Kelenic will have most of the playing time being a left-handed hitter.
At first glance, platooning each player doesn't make a ton of sense from a statistical point of view as their splits from 2023 are nearly identical.
Duvall 2023 splits:
vs. RHP: .248/.312/.551 w/ .863 OPS 13 doubles 18 HR and 46 RBI in 84 games
vs. LHP: .244/.280/.477 w/ .756 OPS 11 doubles 3 HR and 12 RBI in 48 games
Kelenic 2023 splits:
vs. RHP: .251/.330/.408 w/ .738 OPS 22 doubles 7 HR 34 RBI in 99 games
vs. LHP: .259/.315/.459 w/ .774 OPS 3 doubles 4 HR and 15 RBI in 54 games
Those numbers show Atlanta will likely get a similar level of production from either player. The numbers are so similar against lefties and righties that a platoon almost doesn't make a ton of sense. However, this is about more than just who can be the better statistical darling.
Atlanta believes in Kelenic and is trying to help him get back to the confident and talented hitter he was before things went south with Seattle. Believe it or not, the team helped his confidence even more with the Duvall situation.
I'll leave you with this: Adam Duvall, not unlike Eddie Rosario, is incredibly streaky at the plate. Pros far outweigh the cons, obviously, making his signing worthwhile for many reasons. But let's not pretend they got a player who renders Jarred Kelenic obsolete a month into ST. https://t.co/x1HVazT86l
— Grant McAuley (@grantmcauley) March 16, 2024
In a report from Justin Toscano from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution ($), he spoke with Kelenic about the moment he found out the Braves had signed Adam Duvall. Brian Snitker and Alex Anthopoulos sat down with the lefty slugger and told him about the deal and how they planned on using the pair of outfielders.
The 24-year-old understood this and mentioned, “Adam’s gonna help us come in and win games, and at the end of the day, that’s what’s most important. It’s about the team. Set the ego aside, and let’s win.”
Kelenic was appreciative of the transparency and respect the organization has for him to make sure he understands this move is for the betterment of the team and not an indictment on himself or his performance. At the end of the day, this season is all about trying to win a World Series and Duvall is a move that improves this team.
Snitker reportedly told Jarred, “If Adam Duvall would’ve been on this team, we still would’ve traded for you and wanted you.” That shows you just how highly the team really does value his talent and believes in his ability to get himself back to form.
Further, hitting coach Kevin Seitzer is taking the right approach with helping Kelenic fix his swing and explains why it wasn't immediately noticed in Spring Training. He understands these players are more than just that. It's important to get to know the individual before trying to make any changes. This helps build rapport and trust before embarking on a tough process.
Seitzer told the Wisconsin native, “You just need to go be who you were and not who you expect to be right now. Just get back to having fun playing baseball, let the athleticism play out.” That right there shows despite his role changing to a platoon role, this organization clearly has faith in Kelenic and has no plans to abandon him so soon.