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Kelly Johnson is Having a Great Braves’ Homecoming

By John Buhler

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When Atlanta Braves President of Baseball Operations John Hart decided to completely alter the Major League roster this offseason, Hart had three goals in mind: improve a barren farm system, dissolve the organization of dead-weight contracts issued by former GM Frank Wren, and put together a competitive roster that could essentially tread water until 2017 when the Braves make the move to SunTrust Park.

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Atlanta has hovered around .500 for most of the season in spite of boasting a powerless offense and an often-times leaky bullpen.  Part of the reason for the team’s relative success compared to the incredibly low expectations for the ball club this offseason league-wide was Hart’s decision to acquire savvy MLB veterans to lead by example both on and off the field.

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    • One of the more unheralded signings this offseason was bringing back former Atlanta Brave UT Kelly Johnson.  Johnson came up in the Braves organization and spent his first four big league seasons in Atlanta.  He was part of the core that lead the 2005 Baby Braves to that unprecedented 14th straight division title.

    Since leaving Atlanta after the 2009 MLB Season, Kelly spent the next five seasons of his career playing on every team in the American League East and the Arizona Diamondbacks, never spending more than two seasons with any organization.  Known for his ability to hit for power on the left side as well as play multiple positions, Johnson was able to stay at the Major League level despite rarely hitting for high averages outside of Atlanta.

    Hart brought in KJ along with three other position players, C A.J. Pierzynski, RF Nick Markakis, and LF Jonny Gomes to bring much-needed veteran experience to a young Braves roster.  Kelly usually lets his play do the talking for him and that was fine by Hart.  Atlanta was getting a ten-year veteran who could hit for power and play several positions.  But since rejoining the Atlanta Braves, Kelly Johnson has gone through somewhat of a career renaissance with the team that drafted him in 1st Round back in 2000.

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    So far this season, Johnson has produced at the plate this season for the Braves ( .277 AVG, 9 HRs, 32 RBIs, .320 OBP, .464 SLG).  On a team that severely lacks home run power, Kelly is second on the Braves roster behind only injured 1B Freddie Freeman.  KJ has a 116 OPS+ and often hits in the middle of the Atlanta Braves’ batting order, regardless of where he plays in the field.

    Braves Manager Fredi Gonzalez has penciled in Johnson at 1B, 2B, 3B, LF, RF, and DH this season.  Having the ability to succeed at many positions defensively has given Gonzalez much-needed flexibility in his lineup construction.  Fredi can essentially take a top-tier bench player in Kelly Johnson and make into an every-day big leaguer on the 2015 Atlanta Braves.

    Even after missing significant time from mid-May to early June on the DL with an oblique strain, Kelly Johnson has picked up where he left off offensively, going yard in three of his last five ball games.  While he stands as a very valuable trade asset for Hart in the coming days, Kelly Johnson is back to playing great baseball in 2015.

    He could be sold high by Hart since KJ tends to play his best baseball in Atlanta (.265 career average for the Braves, .251 in his MLB career).  But on a roster that likely will finish in the middle of the pack in the National League, I would like to think that Johnson’s value as a major contributor and mentor would be best served teaching a young Braves squad how to not collapse and keel over in September.

    Next: Julio Teheran: The Next Braves' Pitcher to Fall From Grace?

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