Jurickson Profar set to return to play next, return to Braves looms

Jurickson Profar came off a career year in 2024, and Alex Anthopoulos bought high on a free agent in very atypical fashion for him. It immediately turned sour as the Braves’ $42 million signing was popped for PED use after only four games.

Braves fans rightfully responded with disdain, and it’s fair to wonder whether Profar swindled the club. After all, he’d been a replacement-level player, at best, for a decade before breaking out in 2024.

However, the Braves left field situation couldn’t be more dire. Alex Verdugo and Eli White have been dreadful in recent weeks, and as I’ve said before, even if Jurickson Profar regresses to his career averages before the 2024 season, it’ll still be an improvement over what Atlanta’s had in left field since his suspension.

“The left field position has been atrocious. So, while some Braves fans will point out Profar’s ineligibility in the playoffs or his outlier of a career year in 2024, those arguments don’t hold water. Getting to the postseason is the first and only priority of the club right now. Brian Snitker and Alex Anthopoulos can figure out the rest if the Braves even clinch a playoff berth.

Additionally, even if Profar’s return proves that his 2024 campaign was the result of PED use, his career averages are still an improvement over what the Braves have gotten from their other left fielders. Braves left fielders have a slash line of .210/.262/.280 and a .542 OPS, with an sOPS+ of 55, which basically means that Atlanta’s left fielders have an OPS that is 45% below the rest of the league’s left fielders.

Meanwhile, across his career, excluding his 2024 campaign, Profar has a slash line of .238/.322/.383 and a .706 OPS, which is barely below league average over that span. That’s a tremendous improvement from what the Braves have gotten from the position.”

It’s not ideal, and the Braves will have to figure something out in October if they even get there because Jurickson Profar is ineligible for the postseason, but he can provide more production than what the current platoon is offering, and the only goal is to capture a playoff berth.