Braves Nick Allen Quickly Establishing Himself at Shortstop

Orlando Arcia might have had the job on Opening Day, but Allen is swiping up playing time in a hurry

Harrison Smajovits | Apr 5, 2025

Allen might already have the shortstop job locked down for the time being / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

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Atlanta Braves

A minor addition over the offseason is making his presence known on the Atlanta Braves early in the regular season. He wears sports goggles, has a slick glove and a solid contact bat.

That addition is shortstop Nick Allen. The 26-year-old former Oakland Athletics prospect is thriving early on in his new scene. Through four games, he’s batting .333 with a .775 OPS, an RBI and two stolen bases on two attempts.

In the 10-0 win over the Marlins, he reached base twice and scored a run. He’s started the last three games and will start a four in a row for a reason. The offense has been struggling, and he gets on base.

Meanwhile, the usual starter at shortstop, Orlando Arcia, has batted .154 with a .308 OPS in his four games at shortstop.

Manager Brian Snitker hasn’t had to prioritize offense over defense like he’s had to in the past. Allen has been flashing the leather that was given Gold Glove-winning potential.

Nick Allen you are Braves Shortstop🥺 pic.twitter.com/iC76PbXK07
— Eric Yu (@Eric35_Yu) March 29, 2025

At the cost of minor-league right-handed pitcher Jared Johnson, the Braves might have found their guy and with a few years of control left. According to Spotrac, Allen will make $780,000 this season and won’t be a free agent until 2029.

It doesn’t hurt to have a potential mainstay locked down along with other stars until the end of the decade.

It’s a small sample size, but the early signs are promising. For what it’s worth, his success from Spring Training has carried over early. In 17 Grapefruit League games, Allen batted .359 and had a .882 OPS.

If he does continue to succeed, it could prove to be one of the biggest steals of the offseason. It would also take the pressure off from the lack of major moves, or the major moves that aren’t panning out early, over the winter.

We're going to see Arcia again at some point this season. It's unlikely that Allen is going to become an iron man, at least right away. But barring a serious slump, it's looking like shortstop is becoming his position.