Alex Verdugo Sends Strong Message as Braves Approach .500 Mark

The Atlanta Braves were expected to improve offensively with the return of leadoff hitter Ronald Acuña Jr.

That could still very well happen. But the Braves lineup has already seen an improvement with the insertation of a different veteran outfielder -- Alex Verdugo -- in the leadoff spot.

By all accounts, Verdugo isn't just hitting and scoring runs. His confident personality has also been a driving force behind Atlanta's recent surge.

That personality was on full display in front of the media after the Braves came back to win another game Tuesday night.

“I feel like we can beat anybody out there, right?” said Verdugo, via The Athletic's David O'Brien.

It's felt a little that way since Verdugo became the Braves leadoff hitter on April 18. Since then, Atlanta is 11-4 when Verdugo starts. In those 15 games, the Braves have averaged five runs per game.

Atlanta has maintained a five runs per game average with Verdugo in the leadoff spot despite not scoring more than five runs in the outfielder's past five starts.

In their first 18 games without Verdugo, the Braves averaged 3.39 runs per game.

"[Verdugo] joined the Braves on April 18, when they were  5-13, and infused the lineup with quality at-bats from the leadoff spot and a swagger derived both from his personality and from playing eight seasons with the Dodgers, Red Sox and Yankees," wrote O'Brien.

Verdugo isn't leading off games like Acuña did two years ago when he won the National League MVP. That season, it felt like Acuña either hit a solo homer or a single and then stole second in every first inning.

That's not Verdugo's game. In fact, he's hitting just .214 with a .481 OPS in his first at-bats of games. He's slashing just .280/.357/.360 when he leads off an inning.

But Verdugo is seeing plenty of pitches. Only four of his 70 plate appearances this season have ended after one pitch, which may be having a positive impact on the rest of Atlanta's lineup.

Verdugo has also been one of the team's best hitters with runners in scoring position. That's been a sore spot for the Braves offense dating back to last season.

The veteran outfielder is batting .429 with a 1.143 OPS in 16 plate appearances with runners on second or third.

Verdugo is adding that on top of the intangibles O'Brien argued he's providing.

Thanks in large part to the veteran outfielder entering the leadoff spot, the Braves can move to the .500 mark for the first time this season with a win Wednesday night.

When Acuña returns, there should be no controversy -- Acuña is Atlanta's leadoff hitter.

But Verdugo has become a valuable piece to Atlanta's outfield in less than a month. With him in the lineup, his proclamation that the team can "beat anyone" has pretty much been true (the Los Angeles Dodgers being the long exception).