Atlanta Braves Jose Bautista Debuts With Expected Results
By Kit Anderson
The Atlanta Braves called up Jose Bautista yesterday, to become the new starter for the team at the hot corner. His debut was a general success and a sign of what is to come for Bautista.
Jose Bautista debuted for the Atlanta Braves in Friday’s loss finishing 1-4 on the day. In his first at-bat, Jose slugged a high line drive into the gap for an easy double. He flashed his power and showed what the Braves were hoping to add to the lineup.
In his next three at-bats, Bautista went 0-3 striking out twice. Those strikeouts paired with the double is a sign of what the Braves and their fans should expect.
Bautista is a low average power hitter who is going to rack up XBH’s with the strikeouts piling up as well. He is strikeout prone and will continue to swing and miss at a high rate. He comes from a past generation of power hitters focused on swinging hard in case they hit it.
There is nothing wrong with this skill set and it is one the Brave needed. Power is a needed commodity for all MLB teams and the Braves have very little of it in their lineup.
While Ozzie Albies and Ronald Acuna Jr. look to add power they are yet to prove if they can hit for power consistently.
Bautista will bring an XBH threat to the lineup they were lacking. But, fans need to temper expectations for Bautista realizing he will pile up the strikeouts.
Defensively Bautista looked great. He was comfortable and aggressive at the hot corner making the needed plays and appears to keep the team strong defensively.
If he can continue to hit for power and play above average defense he will remain the Braves’ starting third baseman. If a slump hits, however, fans may be less patient with the strikeout-prone Bautista.
The Braves will finish out their weekend series in Atlanta against the Giants before again hitting the road. Be sure and visit SunTrust Park this weekend while you can. The team’s young talent is finally popping a sight well worth seeing for yourself.