Alex Verdugo Has Stabilized the Braves’ Outfield

It’s no secret that the 2025 season didn’t begin the way the Atlanta Braves had hoped. They opened with an 0-7 West Coast skid, the pitching staff was in disarray, the offense couldn’t hit, and to top it all off, Jurickson Profar, their biggest offseason signing, was popped for PEDs.

Things went south fast for Atlanta. Fans were starting to lose hope before the team had even played a single home game.

However, little did anyone know that a late spring training signing would help get the team back in the right direction.

On March 20, just a week before Opening Day, the Atlanta Braves signed outfielder Alex Verdugo to a one-year, $1.5 million deal. What made the move especially interesting wasn’t just the timing, or the team’s crowded outfield depth chart, but the fact that Verdugo agreed to start the year in the minors.

Since Verdugo was out of options, he had to accept the assignment. This would then act as a spring training of sorts, as he ramped up for another shot at a big league role.

In nine games with the Gwinnett Stripers, Verdugo didn’t exactly light the world on fire. His .207/.303/.448 slash line and .751 OPS made it seem like there may have been a reason he was still a free agent so late into the spring.

His break came when Jurickson Profar was suspended, which also made him ineligible for postseason play. Verdugo immediately rattled off a three-game hitting streak, including a homer, and the Braves gave him the call.

From the jump, manager Brian Snitker slotted Verdugo into the lead-off spot after seeing both Ozzie Albies and Michael Harris II struggle at the top. This was a move that most viewed as a bold ask for someone signed as a depth piece just weeks earlier.

So far, it’s looked like a genius decision.

Since Verdugo’s call-up, the Braves have surged, going 13-6 after starting the season 5-13. Over his first 14 games, Verdugo slashed .322/.385/.441 with an .825 OPS, providing steady production at the top of the order. He has struggled over his last three games (0-for-14), but Snitker continues to trust him as the leadoff man.

Verdugo has already matched his career high with two four-hit games; it took him just eight games with the Braves to do so. Yankees fans might cringe at that stat, considering he didn’t notch a single four-hit game all of last season with New York after recording at least one in each of his three previous seasons in Boston.

The underlying numbers are even more encouraging. Verdugo sports a .280 xBA, a 19.0% chase rate, just a 9.7% whiff rate, and an elite 7.6% strikeout rate. Yes, it’s a small sample, but it’s exactly the kind of profile Atlanta’s offense has been lacking for years.

At just 28 years old, Verdugo is out to prove that 2024 was just a blip in his career. After crossing over enemy lines, moving from Boston to the Bronx, he struggled, hitting just .233 with a sub-.650 OPS, both career lows.