Move that Could Save the Atlanta Braves Season

The Atlanta Braves made a subtle change to the lineup that has already paid big dividends.

The Atlanta Braves are 5-1 since Jarred Kelenic was moved to the leadoff spot. / Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

A recent shuffle of the lineup by the Atlanta Braves might have become a move toward correcting offensive woes. He boldly decided to slide outfielder Jarred Kelenic, who had been penciled into the bottom half of the lineup nearly the entire season, was moved into the leadoff spot. 

Kelenic wasn’t necessarily having a bad season, but a .706 OPS and just two home runs heading into June 15 aren’t numbers that typically earn you a promotion. However, the team remained confident in the decision.

Well, it’s safe to the chess move by manager Brian Snitker set Kelenic up perfectly. 

He went 3-for-5 with a home run en route to a 9-2 Braves win over the Tampa Bay Rays. Kelenic was back in the leadoff spot again the next day. He went yard again - doubling his season total in a couple games. 

The struggling Braves found themselves back on track. Kelenic has now batted leadoff for the last five games, and the Braves have won four of them. Kelenic has a .913 OPS during this stretch. 

The @Braves are 4-1 since Jarred Kelenic moved up to the leadoff spot.

The 24-year-old outfielder owns a .913 OPS over those five games 🔥 pic.twitter.com/BuxbIC1fxW

— Bally Sports: Braves (@BravesOnBally) June 20, 2024

Kelenic has seen his OPS jump from .706 to .732. He’s on a seven-game hitting streak as well, batting .300 during the streak. 

Perhaps this is the move that boosts Kelenic to his full potential. The 2018 sixth-overall pick was a top prospect for the Mariners for three years. In the latter two years, he was the Mariners' No. 1 prospect. This was with two-time all-star Julio Rodriguez ranked right behind him at No. 2. 

It sounds laughable now, but it shows the expectations were high. He just didn’t light up big league pitchers out of the gate like they had hoped. In his first two seasons with the Mariners, Kelenic batted .168 with a 66 OPS+ in 147 games. He did make strides in year three with a slash line of .253/.327/.419/.746 and an OPS+ of 110. 

The Braves saw Kelenic’s potential when they acquired him in a five-player trade in December even if they kept it grounded. 

“Look, obviously he’s had a lot of expectations, highly touted and so on,” Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos said following Kelenic’s acquisition. “We do think that this will be a good spot for him. We have a deep lineup. Whoever is in that lineup, you’re one of nine. There’s not any more expectation.”

He’s already shown he can be a contributor at the MLB level. He wasn’t bound for Gwinnett any time soon. However, this might be the moment that the 24-year-old has his long-awaited breakout. 

Kelenic’s bat comes when the Braves offense as a whole has needed a boost. They’re without their star player, Ronald Acuna Jr., the rest of the season, and their lineup has lacked the explosiveness it had just a season ago. In 2023, the Braves led all of MLB with an .845 OPS - the only team with an OPS of .800 or better. This season, it’s dropped to .717. The Braves needed something to go their way. They needed a spark. Well, this could be it. 

The Braves head to the Bronx on Friday to start their series with the New York Yankees. There’s a short porch in right field awaiting the lefty Kelenic to continue his tear.