FanGraphs Provides Favorable Projections for Braves Shortstops

Even with the dilemma of Ha-Seong Kim's injury, the Atlanta Braves would still be in a better spot offensively at shortstop, even if by default

After Kim's injury, it wouldn't hurt to see how the Braves are looking | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Braves found themselves in a difficult spot as Spring Training approaches. They had their shortstop, and now he’s injured. It will, to some undetermined extent, impact their offense. 

With that being said, we can look at some projections to get some type of idea of how production from the shortstop position could look. We’ll look at Ha-Seong Kim because he’s going to have adjusted projections. Along with him, we’ll check in on Mauricio Dubon and Jorge Mateo. 

Ha-Seong Kim

Kim has had his projected total games played reduced to 82 games. They are expecting the Braves to have him on the field for half the season. When you could potentially be out until mid-June on the expected high end, projectors are going to play it conservatively.

When he goes get in the batter’s box, he’s still expected to do more than Braves shortstops did last season. He’s projected to bat .244 with a .706 OPS, seven home runs and 34 RBIs. It’s not what many are hoping to get out of him, but it’s a difference that would be felt. This, for a full season, would have been helpful, but that’s no longer in the cards. 

Mauricio Dubón

So, this is the guy who is most likely to be the starting shortstop to start next season. What should we expect? Dubón's overall production isn’t projected to be that much worse than Kim’s. He is projected to bat .262 with a .677 OPS, five home runs and 30 RBIs. 

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To give further perspective, this is still better than what the Braves got from shortstops other than Kim during his 24-game run last season. The backup option is still projected to do better than what they had before. 

He’s expected to play in 76 games this season. That makes sense. Kim is expected to be back before the halfway point in the season, and he would play in any other circumstance when Walt Weiss wants to rest another player. 

Jorge Mateo

We’ve now reached the depth option who will work in tandem with the backup option. He’s expected to appear in 34 games. When another player is expected to take the bulk of the starting job to start the season, and we don’t know if he’ll stick around when the actual starting shortstop returns, that’s a reasonable projection. 

His overall projected performance is about what you’d expect. He’s projected to bat .226 with a .628 OPS, three home runs and 14 RBIs. Again, even Mateo is expected to hit three more home runs than any Braves shortstop not named Ha-Seong Kim hit last year. Offensively, it was an anywhere-but-up situation.