Atlanta Braves Patience with Orlando Arcia Paying Off

Atlanta Braves shortstop Orlando Arcia has quietly been one of the hottest hitters in baseball the last two weeks.

Atlanta Braves shortstop Orlando Arcia rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run against the New York Mets. / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The Atlanta Braves have been playing exceptional baseball for the past week. With first baseman Matt Olson snapping out of his season-long slump and third baseman Austin Riley playing at a high level, they are a team trending up heading into August.

However, it's not just their corner infielders that have been performing well. The team’s shortstop Orlando Arcia currently possesses an 11-game hitting streak, the second time he has done so in his career. 

AR-SEE YA LATER👋 pic.twitter.com/KdyEVSrYCi

— Bally Sports: Braves (@BravesOnBally) July 30, 2024

Moreover, in the past seven days, Arcia has been hitting the ball better than he has all season. 

In that span, he has upheld a .333/.407/.625 offensive line, which includes two home runs and eight hits in 24 at-bats. After being subject to criticism due to underwhelming offensive performance in recent times, Arcia is trending upward entering August. 

With an upcoming seven-game homestead, with four of those contests against the Miami Marlins starting on Thursday, it is an opportune time for him and the rest of the team to make a push to minimize the six-and-a-half game deficit to the NL-East leading Phillies. The Phillies have lost four in a row after a hot summer.

Just a few weeks ago, Atlanta’s shortstop took responsibility and ownership for not playing his best baseball before his recent July surge. Additionally, he remarked that designated hitter Marcell Ozuna has been assisting him in getting out of the hitting rut.

"It's not a secret that I've been struggling lately. I'm not going to hang my head. I'm just going to continue to put in the work."

Orlando Arcia connected on his seventh home run of the season 🔊 pic.twitter.com/RGu2gwni6p

— Bally Sports South (@BallySportsSO) July 13, 2024

“He (Marcell Ozuna) is always watching our film and the other guys’ film, especially when we are not playing well. He tries to help us out whenever we are kind of struggling. He’s got a ton of experience, and he’s a great hitter, so it’s really helpful for us for him to watch our film and give us feedback on what’s happening. It's not a secret that I've been struggling lately. I'm not going to hang my head. I'm just going to continue to put in the work." Arcia said.

For manager Brian Snitker, getting more than just defense out of his regular 9-hole hitter is pivotal. With the return of former Braves leadoff man Jorge Soler, Arcia's recent offensive surge could kickstart the offense into more consistent output and results. 

It's the first of the month 🔥#BravesCountry pic.twitter.com/P8OC55KnKS

— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) August 1, 2024

Additionally, on Thursday, he was moved up to the 5-spot in the lineup because of how well he has been swinging the bat lately. Arcia and the Braves will take on the Marlins in game one of the series Thursday night at 7:20 p.m. EST. It will be the first time the Braves will be shown to Comcast customers in months.