ATLANTA — Walt Weiss was requested if he had tossed and turned all evening whereas figuring out the precise building of his first lineup because the Braves’ supervisor.
“I slept good final evening truly,” Weiss mentioned. “I went round a number of alternative ways with the lineup. I had about two or three written on paper. I went with this one for a number of totally different causes. I am positive y’all will ask why, however I be ok with our lineup.”
When the Braves posted their lineup for Friday evening’s Opening Day matchup in opposition to the Royals, the largest shock was Ozzie Albies slotting into the third spot, between Drake Baldwin and cleanup hitter Matt Olson.
Albies instantly proved his supervisor proper when he clobbered a solo homer down the left-field line within the first inning at Truist Park.
Albies was as soon as a menace to left-handed pitchers. So, possibly it shouldn’t have been shocking to see the second baseman fill a key lineup spot in opposition to Royals starter Cole Ragans.
However Albies had only a .708 OPS in 186 plate appearances from the appropriate facet of the plate final yr.
So, why would Weiss do that whereas shifting Olson to the fourth spot and Austin Riley to the fifth spot? Riley had a .940 OPS in opposition to southpaws in 2023, the newest yr he remained wholesome over the whole season.
Properly, talking of well being, Albies’ struggles final yr have been influenced by the fractured left wrist he suffered in July 2024. Weiss’ option to put Albies within the third spot exhibits he’s assured within the switch-hitter’s capacity to get again to the place he was in 2023, when he had a 1.023 OPS in 128 at-bats in opposition to left-handers. This topped the 1.099 OPS he had constructed from the plate’s proper facet in 2019.
“I need to put Ozzie in place to get as many right-handed at-bats as doable,” Weiss mentioned. “They’ll goal Baldwin and Olson with their [left-handed relievers]. So, you understand, there is a worth to pay with Ozzie sitting there in between them.”
All through Spring Coaching, Weiss mentioned he can be snug placing the left-handed-hitting duo of Baldwin and Olson back-to-back within the lineup. In truth, the 2 will seemingly be positioned subsequent to one another, hitting second and third, respectively, in opposition to right-handed starters.
But when Albies can get again to the menace he was a pair years in the past in opposition to lefties, then it definitely is sensible to separate Baldwin and Olson, to make them much less prone to left-handed relievers.
There’s additionally purpose to argue Riley ought to be hitting larger in opposition to lefties. However once more, his placement there might show useful when opposing managers start mixing and matching.
If an opponent brings a right-handed reliever out of the bullpen to face Riley they usually have to stay within the sport for at the very least three batters, this may give Weiss an opportunity to deliver Mike Yastrzemski off the bench to pinch-hit for Eli White, who was slated within the sixth spot of Thursday’s lineup. White will play left discipline when Yastrzemski sits in opposition to left-handed starters.
