Just in: Brian Snitker, Atlanta braves coach confirm he is facing line up issues ahead of 2024

Brian Snitker, Atlanta braves coach confirm he is facing line up issues ahead of 2024

Which order should we send the nine offensive starters to the plate in now that we know who they are?

The Atlanta Braves of 2024 have a fairly solid lineup, at least offensively.

The Braves will start 2024 with a leftfield combination of Jarred Kelenic (acquired

this week from the Seattle Mariners) and infielder Vaughn Grissom (now in winter ball, converting to the outfield). There

has been no decision made regarding the starting lineup because the plan will not change, according to manager Brian

Snitker: Arrive at spring training and evaluate both players over the course of 30 games before choosing one.

However, since Snitker favors giving veterans starts, we’ll lean left field toward Kelenic for the purposes of this exercise.

If no other players are acquired between now and March 28 in Philadelphia, what might Atlanta’s batting order be on Opening Day?

In Atlanta, Ronald Acuña Jr. will bat leadoff until he decides he no longer

wants to, so let’s not overthink this. He is the team’s greatest speed/stolen base

threat, one of the best power hitters, and the best at reaching base, with a team-best.416 OBP in 2023.

When Ozzie moved up to the #2 spot in the order, pushing Matt Olson to cleanup, Atlanta’s offensive output reached new heights.

When batting behind Acuña, he had a slashline of.299/.354/.535 and he hit 18 of his 33 home runs in those 78 games. An

added benefit of his switch-hitting ability is that it makes it more difficult for opposing managers to set up reliever matchups.  .

The only player for whom you could argue to move up in the lineup is Austin Riley. Riley has a career slash line

of.319/.370/.585, with 39 home runs in 158 games, making him an even better cleanup hitter than he was in the three-hole.

However, his RBI potential is greatly enhanced when he bats behind Acuña and Ozzie. His excellent contact and

power combination can sustain the offensive momentum started by the first two players.

(In addition, if he strikes out—he led the team in hits in 2023 with 172—it either signals the end of a scoreless inning or

leaves the door open for the cleanup hitter to drive in whichever player reached base first.

It’s fair to say that Atlanta’s offense hit a new gear when Matt Olson moved to cleanup last season. Making the move down at the same time Ozzie moved up to #2, Olson batted an absurd .328/.425/.691 with 32 homers in

his 85 games at cleanup. Most notably, he dropped his strikeout rate from 35.5% in the 2-hole to 21.97% when batting

It’s safe to say that when Matt Olson switched to cleanup last season, Atlanta’s offense found a new level of intensity.

Olson batted an absurd number, moving down at the same moment that Ozzie

moved up to the #2 spot.328/.425/.691 in his 85 games at cleanup with 32 home