Recent Surge Could Convince Braves to Move Up Eli White in Lineup

Eli White has been the Atlanta Braves most reliable bat as of late, and it's becoming a possibility that he'll move up in the order

White has been the Braves most reliable hitter as of late | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The last few days couldn’t get much better for Atlanta Braves outfielder Eli White. He stole he show at the MLB Speedway Classic on Sunday with two home runs and four RBIs to lift his team to a 4-2 win over the Reds. He followed it up with a solo home run in Tuesday night’s 7-2 loss to the Brewers.

Hitting nearly half your home runs in this span has made him a saving grace for the Braves. He’s accounted for five of the Braves' last seven runs scored over the last three days. The bats continue to struggle, but White has stepped up. 

Manager Brian Snitker isn’t too surprised, however, because it’s nothing new. 

“Eli’s made the most of his opportunities all year,” Snitker said. “He’s done a really nice job.” 

He added that moving him up in the lineup has become a possibility, at least while he’s filling in for Ronald Acuña Jr. 

Overall on the season, White is batting .254 with a .715 OPS, seven home runs and 26 RBIs. He’s turned up the dial over his last 26 games, batting .286 with a .839 OPS. 

White has had his share of heroic moments during the season, regardless of his role. One that stands out was his go-ahead three-run home run against the St. Louis Cardinals to lift the Braves to a 4-1 win on April 23. 

It’s all been a pleasant surprise for the Braves. He didn’t crack the active roster out of Spring Training because of his bat. Snitker has previously said that his speed way the ultimate factor. In the early games of the season, he was primarily a pinch runner and late game defensive substitution. 

Needing the extra outfielder didn’t hurt his chances either. Acuña started the season on the injured list recovering from his torn ACL, requiring more depth at the position. Since then, he’s outlasted Jarred Kelenic and Bryan De La Cruz, who were higher-priority outfielders on the roster for covering for Acuña. 

Kelenic is now in Triple-A and De La Cruz is with the Yankees. Stuart Fairchild and Alex Verdugo also came and went during that time. All of them had more experience as starting outfielder than him, yet he’s the one who found a way. 

Even when Acuña is back, the Braves need to find a way to get him more playing time. It’s difficult with both Michale Harris II and Jurickson Profar in the outfield, but finding a way is must.