Each series throughout the season, we will highlight a former player who donned a Braves jersey and also suited up for Atlanta’s current opponent. The Braves are in the middle of a three game set with NL East rivals the New York Mets. Let’s take a look back on a player who once called Atlanta and Queens home at one point in their career.
As always, there are always several options we could choose but we typically like to stay on the obscure side and bring back memories you forgot you had. Tom Glavine is likely one of the first names that come to mind when you think of these two organizations, but what about Ender Inciarte?
Inciarte with Braves
Ender Inciarte came over to the Atlanta Braves in one of the most lopsided trades in MLB history. Atlanta sent starting pitcher Shelby Miller to the Diamondbacks in exchange for Ender Inciarte and Dansby Swanson.
Inciarte ended up spending six total seasons with the Braves from 2016-2021. The former Atlanta center fielder contributed a lot towards seeing the organization’s rebuild come to fruition and capture multiple division titles.
In 607 games in a Braves uniform, Inciarte was a .275 hitter with a .335 on-base percentage. He also hit 32 home runs, drove in 191 runs and stole 78 bases primarily out of the leadoff spot.
Inciarte with Mets
By the time Ender Inciarte had joined the New York Mets organization, it was easy to tell that his MLB career was drawing to a close. He only appeared in 11 games with the Mets in 2022.
Over this very short stint, Inciarte hit .125 and did not record a home run or RBI.
The Mets utilized Inciarte mainly as a defensive substitution for all three outfield spots when needed and did not give him many opportunities at the plate. Although he played in 11 games with the Mets, he only had a total of 8 at-bats.
For his career
For his career, Ender Inciarte was much better than a lot of people are willing to give him credit for. He was a .280 hitter with 42 homers and 263 runs batted in while swiping 118 bases. These are more than respectable numbers for a traditional leadoff man.
In addition to his solid work in the batter’s box, Inciarte was best known for his defense and earned some high praise with individual accolades. In 2014, he was 5th in NL Rookie of the Year voting. He also went on to obtain three Gold Glove Awards and make an All-Star Game appearance in 2017.