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AJ Pierzynski: Atlanta Braves’ 1st Half MVP?

By John Buhler

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When AJ Pierzynski came to the Atlanta Braves this offseason via free agency, AJ believed that he would be playing more of a mentor role to the Braves young backstop prospect Christian Bethancourt than be the Braves’ assumed starter.  In the twilight of his long and accomplished career as a big league catcher, Pierzynski is a pro’s pro.  He told Braves Manager Fredi Gonzalez that he would be open to catch anywhere from 20 to 150 games for the 2015 Atlanta Braves.

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But after Bethancourt’s apparent struggles at the plate and surprising challenges of calling games or even defending his position, Christian went back down to AAA Gwinnett a few weeks back and has not returned to the big league ball club.  A.J. Pierzynski then had to assume the starting catcher role for the Atlanta Braves with veteran backstop Ryan Lavarnway behind him on the Braves’ depth chart.

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    • As the Atlanta Braves approach the All-Star Break, AJ Pierzynski has been a strong starter for the Braves behind the plate.  In 57 games, AJ is hitting .289 with 6 homers and 29 runs batted in.  His Pierzynski’s veteran presence to work with countless young Atlanta pitchers has been greatly appreciated by Gonzalez’s coaching staff.

    What the Atlanta Braves have asked of AJ Pierzynski in 2015 has been nothing short of surprising, given that the 38-year old backstop was supposedly on the team just to back up Bethancourt.  With the way AJ has swung the bat and managed games behind the plate, is it fair to say that AJ Pierzynski is actually the first half MVP for the 2015 Atlanta Braves?

    While AJ will not make the NL All-Star roster as a replacement player at any point this week, I feel that the Atlanta Braves are reaping the benefits of Pierzynski’s second or third wind as a big league player.  He’s been a great hitter his entire career (.282 career average).  For a catcher, that’s remarkable give how taxing it is to call great games behind the dish.

    It appears that AJ can reach a significant milestone at the plate for the Braves this season, too.  AJ needs just 72 more hits to get to 2,000.  Though he only has 61 on the year so far, Pierzynski could eclipse that threshold with the amount of playing time his is currently receiving.

    And even though there have been stretches where AJ’s bat has gone to sleep, he has been a face of consistency in an ever-rotating battery of pitcher-catcher combos.  It sounds crazy, but AJ Pierzynski might catch close to 40 different MLB pitchers for the Braves before the season comes to a close.

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    Part of the reason Atlanta has hung around .500 despite it being a slight rebuilding year is that the Atlanta pitching staff has full faith in AJ having a great game plan to attack hitters.  Though a young arm may feel unsure of his stuff at the big league level, Pierzynski is full of confidence behind the dish, knowing that if the young pitcher follows AJ’s lead, the Braves have a strong chance to get that hitter out. One pitch at a time.

    To me, it’s not the obvious statistics that solidify his importance to the 2015 Atlanta Braves.  It’s the intangible qualities he has as a leader both on and off the field that make AJ Pierzynski the first half Most Valuable Player on the Atlanta Braves.

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