NORTH PORT, Fla. — Making jovial remarks about Spring Training lineups has been a common practice during the social media era. When the regulars need a rest or choose not to make a road trip, you encounter things like Jorge Mateo serving as the leadoff hitter in the Braves’ Grapefruit League season opener on Saturday in Port Charlotte.
But there are occasions when a manager provides a glimpse of what he is thinking in terms of lineup construction. Such was the case on Sunday, when Braves skipper Walt Weiss devised a lineup that might look very similar to the one he utilizes on Opening Day.
But really, the only current certainty is Ronald Acuña Jr. will be back in the leadoff spot. Weiss hinted this would happen in December and he confirmed it before Sunday’s game against the Twins.
“I won’t say [the decision] was easy, because you can make a case for [Acuña to hit] one, two or three. I wanted to make sure I had a conversation with him, too. That’s part of the equation. What does he really want to do? And he loves leading off. And I love that he sets the tone right out of the gate.”
The 1.012 OPS Acuña produced as a leadoff hitter in 2023 is the fourth-highest mark by any player with at least 500 plate appearances in the lineup’s first spot. If he’s healthy, Acuña may provide similar production and also run more frequently than he did before suffering a second major knee injury in 2024.
But who will follow Acuña? Here’s how Weiss constructed Sunday’s lineup:
First thing’s first, if this at least resembles what Atlanta’s lineup will be on March 27 vs. Kansas City, Eli White or Mike Yastrzemski would be in place of Schunk, who will likely begin the season with Triple-A Gwinnett. Yastrzemski won’t play against left-handed starters. But he will sit closer to the middle of the lineup against right-handers.
White and Yastrzemski both played in Saturday’s Grapefruit League season opener. That is why both sat on Sunday and opened the door for those playful Spring Training lineup jabs often directed toward the presence of a nomadic non-roster invitee.
But could Baldwin find himself batting second on a regular basis when the regular season arrives?
“There’s many schools of thought when it comes to lineup construction,” Weiss said. “I’ve probably gone down every rabbit hole as it relates to that. I’m going to watch it play out this spring, and I’m not going to be married to any one lineup.”
There’s certainly a chance the Braves will have one lineup when going up against right-handed starters and another for opposing left-handers. But this might not necessarily alter the possibility of having the left-handed bats of Baldwin and Olson bat back-to-back.
Among Braves regulars last year, Baldwin ranked second with an .818 OPS against left-handed pitchers. Olson ranked fourth with a .792 OPS.
“That’s the point of the lineup where the left-handed reliever is going to come in the game,” Weiss said. “You can bet the house. And I’m not saying this is exactly how it’s going to be. But I want to get a look at Baldy and Matty hitting back-to-back.”
Olson and Riley have both been utilized in the second spot in the past. They could occasionally fill that spot, especially on those days when Baldwin rests. But if there was a desire to stash more power in the third and fourth spots, Profar would be another option to bat behind Acuña.
Deciding who will fill the second through fourth spots will influence the significance of Acuña’s value as a catalyst.
“It’s become part of [Acuña’s] identity, that leadoff spot,” Weiss said. “He’s been really, really good at it.”
At the same time, Weiss recognizes the value the ninth hitter could provide if he gets on base consistently ahead of Acuña. This creates reason to wonder if Michael Harris II could see some time filling the ninth spot, a role some consider to be a second leadoff hitter.
“You’ve got to remember that the first time through the order is when the lineup is linear,” Weiss said. “After that it’s circular. It just goes around and around. So, we’ll try to have some guys in that ninth spot who can get on base for [Acuña].”
