No Atlanta Braves player had quite the rollercoaster season that Jurickson Profar did in 2025. The Braves signed Profar last offseason with the intention of his on-base skills and switch hitting prowess balancing the lineup while bringing a much needed skill set to provide variety in an otherwise power dependent lineup. However, just as the season got underway, Braves fans were blindsided with the news of Profar's 80 game suspension after testing positive for one of MLB's banned PED substances.
Upon his return, Profar had to earn the respect of both the organization and the fans. Profar's production isn't flawless, but his 128 wRC+ and 1.5 fWAR in 77 games played has been encouraging. Unfortunately, his month of September has been a step back in production, and it really makes us wonder what exactly the Braves have in Profar moving forward.
Profar's September results should cast doubt on what he will be in 2026 and beyond
For the month of September, Profar has been around league average 99 wRC+. In fact, these numbers are very similar to his month of July where he produced a 98 wRC+. Profar's season has been carried by his excellent month of August, where he ran an OPS of 1.026 and 183 wRC+. It makes evaluating him moving forward all the more difficult.
Is Profar the league average bat with good OBP skills like he was in July and the season's final month? Or is he the slugger who can hit near the top of a talented Braves lineup like he was all of August? The answer is something Alex Anthopoulos needs to figure out before the get set to navigate the offseason.
Profar's underlying metrics are a bit puzzling as well. For the season he has mostly outperformed most of his expected numbers. For example, Profar's slugging percentage for the season currently sits at .450. Meanwhile his expected slugging percentage (xSLG) sits at .413. Just a few weeks ago, we did a deep dive on why Profar's pull-rate has helped him outperform those expected batted ball numbers, but is this something he can sustain over the course of a full season?
Given these questions around what type of player Profar will be going forward, his shaky defense possibly being a fit for DH next season, and Michael Harris II's unpredictability is adding a starting caliber outfielder something Anthopoulos needs to pursue this winter? The list of questions for the front office this winter is a lengthy one, but self-evaluation on players such as Profar is the first step in carving out a path to constructing the 2026 roster. Hopefully, Anthopoulos can find all the pieces necessary to build a winning combination of players that can get Atlanta back into the postseason next year.