Mauricio Dubón Providing Refreshing Change for Braves at Shortstop

Just remember this. The Atlanta Braves' acquisition of utility man Mauricio Dubón was a one-for-one swap where the return was Nick Allen. Nothing else had to be thrown in for them to get what was, by default, an upgrade at the position.

Sure, they had Ha-Seong Kim in September. But there was uncertainty that he would return. Even after re-signing, he is still working his way back from an injury. That made finding a more viable depth option that much more important. Dubón, one way or another, was going to find himself manning the shortstop position to begin the year.

The two-time Gold Glove winner hasn’t just ensured defense at the position stands pat; he’s giving them a refreshing level of production at the plate. In three games played, he’s 4-for-10 with a double and five RBIs.

Just to point out a comparison, it took Braves shortstops 21 games to reach five RBIs last season, and it required Allen driving in four and Orlando Arcia picking up another. The latter had as many RBIs for the Braves as he did bat flips on a walk.

To add to that, he leads the team in RBIs through the first four games. If you had been told that before the season, you would think this team’s offense was in bad shape. Instead, it means that he’s been a surprise contributor in clutch situations out of the gate.

“He’s a high-contact bat. He’s one of those guys who keeps the line moving,” manager Walt Weiss said after Monday’s 4-0 win over the A’s. “You don’t always have to hit the balls in the seats to be a productive offensive player.”

Dubón, in Weiss’ mind, is a highlight of how the offense is changing. No one has to do too much. They don’t necessarily need a big hit. They just have to keep the rally going.

“I think we can keep the line moving, I think, better than we’ve been able to do in the last couple years,” Weiss added.

Ultimately, Kim will return, and he will become the starting shortstop. He should be, too. That's what the Braves signed him on to be.

Since the early going isn’t an effort to swipe that spot out from under Kim, Dubón is simply building further confidence in the bench. That's still a good thing. The Braves had a goal of improving the bench after it was so lackluster last season. Instead of churning through options to see who sticks again, they have options ready to go.

There will be more trust that he can fill in anywhere if someone gets hurt or if someone needs a day off. It helps that he can play around the field, including at second base, third base, and in the outfield.

He hits lefties well. He’ll be useful when playing matchups regardless. He doesn’t have to hit .400 and keep leading the team in RBIs, but anything more than what they got before helps. It’s a low bar, but the difference is already being felt.