The Atlanta Braves have struggled to get a lot of production out of their lineup in 2025 so far. Marcell Ozuna has been one of the only consistent bats, and he missed the entire Toronto series due to hip inflammation. The timing of his injury couldn't have been worse for an offense that desperately needs him.
Jurickson Profar's suspension left the team in a bad place, as they haven't been able to nail down a consistent lead-off bat. Michael Harris II has gotten a majority of the starts at lead off, but he's hitting .179 on the season with a minuscule 39 wRC+ and 25% K-rate.
Not only that, the entire outfield for the Braves has been awful offensively. Jarred Kelenic has a 42 wRC+ and Bryan De La Cruz with a 31 wRC+. That is not going to work, and it forced Atlanta's hand to make a change.
Alex Verdugo presents the Braves with an opportunity to shake things up
Alex Verdugo has been preparing in Triple-A for an eventual MLB call-up. The team decided now is a good time to bring him up and allow him a chance to stick on the roster. Verdugo replaced De La Cruz instead of Kelenic, which was interesting since he's a lefty. However, his walk rate is a bit better than De La Cruz's, and that saved him.
Kelenic will likely be demoted once Acuna returns unless he just goes on a hot streak. With this decision, what does it mean for Atlanta's lineup? Let's take a look at how the lineup could be constructed with Verdugo.
1. Verdugo
2. Albies
3. Ozuna
4. Olson
5. Riley
6. Murphy
7. Allen/Arcia
8. White/Kelenic
9. Harris II
That lineup assumes Ozuna will return on Friday. We don't have an update at the time this is being written. If he isn't able to return, here is a potential lineup without him:
1. Verdugo
2. Albies
3. Riley
4. Olson
5. Murphy
6. Harris II
7. Baldwin
8. Allen/Arcia
9. White/Kelenic
Now, you may ask yourself why Verdugo would lead off for the Braves? He's been pretty successful in that role.
Alex Verdugo was pretty good last season in areas most of the #Braves lineup is currently struggling with. Don’t be surprised if the team uses him as a lead off option. He has a .278 career average batting first across 618 plate appearances. pic.twitter.com/EA3kGCkZO4
— Steven Teal (@realteal09) April 17, 2025
As the first batter of the game in 2024, Verdugo batted .375 over 17 plate appearances. His career average as the first batter in a game is .279 over 130 plate appearances. He also has a career .279 average when batting first with 157 hits, including 45 doubles, three triples, 12 homers, 44 RBI, and a 103 wRC+.
While those aren't eye-popping numbers, they are much better than what Atlanta has received. He was excellent metrically last season in strikeout, chase, and whiff percentage. That is something you need out of a lead-off hitter. This feels like the right time to switch things up and see if Verdugo can provide a spark to an offense that has been rather lethargic.