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Doubts Continue to Surround Braves New OF Jurickson Profar Entering 2025

Atlanta Braves free agent signing Jurickson Profar made another list from Bleacher Report that MLB players don't want to be on.

Dave Holcomb

New Atlanta Braves outfielder Jurickson Profar
New Atlanta Braves outfielder Jurickson Profar / David Frerker-Imagn Images
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There's a lot of excitement internally for outfielder Jurickson Profar joining the Atlanta Braves lineup. But MLB pundits continue to express concerns about the veteran matching his 2024 totals.

On Feb. 23, Bleacher Report's Tim Kelly included Profar on a list of "biggest potential bust" free agent signings for 2025.

"Profar was once one of the top prospects in the game as a member of the Texas Rangers, but his age-31 season was the first one in which he really performed at the level that was once expected of him. For his career, he's a .245 hitter with a .726 OPS. He also doesn't provide a ton of defensive value—with minus-19 defensive runs saved over the past two years—and he's now headed to Truist Park, one of the more spacious outfields in baseball," wrote Kelly.

"Again, if Profar is anything like what he was a year ago in San Diego—or even what he was for the 2022 Padres—it will prove to be a tremendous addition to a lineup that includes Austin Riley, Michael Harris II, Ozzie Albies and Matt Olson, with former NL MVP Ronald Acuña Jr. likely to return from a left ACL tear at some point in the first half of the season. Still, it's a bit surprising that he got a third guaranteed year considering how recently he was one of the worst regulars in all of baseball."

Profar made his first All-Star team last season with a .280/.380/.459 slash line. He also had a career-best 24 home runs, 85 RBI, 94 runs and 10 stolen bases.

But the question is whether the campaign was a breakout season or career year. Kelly suggested it will prove to be the latter.

It's an easy argument to make. Profar hit .238 with a .706 OPS in his career before the 2024 season. And it's not like that was a small sample. Profar played 961 games over 10 MLB seasons before 2024.

It will likely be difficult for Profar to match what he did last season. But it's important to note that he doesn't necessarily have to be an All-Star to have a positive impact for the Braves.

If the Braves experience better injury luck this season, Profar could be a bottom-third-of-the-order hitter. If he posts an OPS in between what he did in 2024 and his career norm (that in between total would be about .775), he will be a great offensive asset.

The Braves signed Profar to a three-year, $42 million contract in January. Since then, Profar has been called a regression or bust candidate for the 2025 season.

But interestingly, the Braves avoided signing another player who Kelly considers a bust candidate this year. Pundits linked Atlanta to starters Nathan Eovaldi and Nick Pivetta this offseason. Kelly included both pitchers on his "biggest potential busts" free agents list on Feb. 23.

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Dave Holcomb
DAVE HOLCOMB