Alex Verdugo was a very late preseason add — which makes some sense, since there was no reason for anyone to lock up a guy coming off a 0.6 fWAR season, with similar projections for the upcoming season. The Braves maybe foresaw him playing some kind of role in case of an outfielder injury. What they probably didn’t foresee was… this.
Basically, the Braves rank 28th in left field production, and 27th in right field production, at this time. Both have been below replacement. Michael Harris II has actually been just as bad in center field (29th), but the difference between him and the guys in the corners is that his xwOBA has been bad but not abominable, and it’s not like he’s going anywhere, either.
So, the question for today is how much of an upgrade you think Verdugo will actually provide over the Bryan De La Cruz-Jarred Kelenic-Stuart Fairchild group that he’ll be starting over. (I assume Eli White is going to start in the other corner, at least in the immediate future.) Projections-wise, he’s pretty similar to Kelenic and about a 1.5-win upgrade over a full season over De La Cruz. But, those two guys have been so bad that even replacement-level play would be an upgrade. Anyway, have at it.
Daily Notes
Record: 5-13
Yesterday’s wOBA and xwOBA: n/a (Season rank: 19st | 17th)
Yesterday’s wOBA and xwOBA allowed: n/a (Season rank: 25th | 25th)
Yesterday’s homers: n/a
Yesterday’s homers allowed: n/a
Record when out-xwOBAing: 3-5 (League: 212-68)
Record when out-xwOBAed: 2-8 (League: 68-212)
Record when out-wOBAing: 5-2 (League: 243-38)
Record when out-wOBAed: 0-11 (League: 38-243)
Record when outhomering: 3-2 (League: 152-41)
Record when outhomered: 0-7 (League: 41-152)
