Most spring training performances should be taken with a giant grain of salt. With that said, the Atlanta Braves’ hitters have clearly arrived this spring intent on making a statement. Both established regulars and fringe roster candidates have looked notably ahead of opposing pitchers so far, and one of the team’s breakout spring stars is making a compelling case to break camp with the club on the Opening Day roster.
Veteran utility man Kyle Farmer appears poised to rebound from a disappointing 2025 campaign with the Rockies. The Atlanta native has posted an impressive 1.023 OPS this spring and seems to have moved ahead of several other fringe roster candidates with only a couple of weeks remaining before Opening Day.
Despite Farmer’s resurgence, however, there is one potential complication: his skill set closely mirrors that of another player who already appears likely to secure a spot on the 26-man roster: Mauricio Dubón.
Kyle Farmer - Atlanta Braves (1)* pic.twitter.com/e4T3Pjsqq9
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Kyle Farmer's future in Atlanta may be determined by how versatile the Braves want their bench to be
To begin the season, this is not necessarily a significant issue. Dubón is expected to start at shortstop nearly every day until Ha-Seong Kim returns from his finger injury. However, once Kim is back, the decision between keeping Dubón or Farmer on the roster could quickly become a legitimate question for the club.
Both Farmer and Dubón derive much of their value from positional versatility and their ability to hit left-handed pitching. With a number of early-season at-bats potentially available at designated hitter, Farmer could play his way into a stronger roster position, as his hitting track record suggests that outcome is certainly possible. That said, Dubón has also performed better than expected this spring, currently posting an .830 OPS—perhaps benefiting from some guidance from Chipper Jones.
The key—and perhaps only—meaningful distinction between the two players at this point is the defensive edge Dubón holds. While both Farmer and Dubón offer value through their ability to play multiple positions, Dubón is the only one capable of providing plus defense across the board. That factor alone is likely to give Dubón a clear advantage as this roster battle begins to take shape.
In the short term, the Braves should be able to carry both players while the roster works through early-season injuries and role adjustments. But once Kim returns and the infield picture stabilizes, the front office will likely face a difficult decision.
If Farmer continues to swing the bat the way he has this spring, he could force the club to seriously reconsider how it allocates its bench spots. For now, though, what initially appeared to be a straightforward roster outlook has quietly become one of the more intriguing position battles to watch as Opening Day approaches.