Ken Rosenthal highlights Braves “upcoming decision”

The Braves apparently have a “good problem” on their hands.

To begin the offseason, Atlanta’s biggest hole on the roster was in the outfield. The only thing Alex Anthopoulos did was sign Jurickson Profar. The hope was that Jarred Kelenic and Bryan De La Cruz could platoon until Ronald Acuna Jr. returned.

We know how that went. Profar was popped for PED use, and the outfield once again became a blackhole. Michael Harris II struggled, while Kelenic and De La Cruz found their way back to the minors. The Braves were back at square one, until some unlikely heroes arrived.

Eli White and Alex Verdugo have picked up the Braves in ways nobody could have expected. White has experienced the longest sustained success in the majors across his career this season, while Verdugo has bounced back marvelously after a down 2024 campaign with the Yankees.

The pair has directly contributed to Atlanta’s wins, and Ken Rosenthal says they have an “upcoming decision” about their outfield as Ronald Acuna Jr.’s return looms.

“Let’s start with the simple stuff. Acuña will be in the lineup and starting in right field as soon as he’s ready, and not a day later. Early-season slump notwithstanding, Michael Harris II’s job as everyday center fielder does not appear to be in the least bit of danger.

That leaves one outfield spot — left field. And a couple of journeymen are making it a harder decision than anyone would’ve thought, especially after the Braves lost Jurickson Profar (suspension) and Jarred Kelenic (minor leagues).

Alex Verdugo: .304/.361/.393 (.754 OPS) — 13 games
Eli White: .304/.350/.571 (.921 OPS) — 25 games”

Eli White and Alex Verdugo are two of the primary reasons the Braves have turned their season around since an 0-7 start, and while White’s hot start might fade, Verdugo has actually been a better player than Jurickson Profar over the course of their respective careers. With Profar being ineligible for the postseason, he may be an afterthought when he does eventually return.

“They (Braves) have outfield options, and maybe even a hard decision to make between Verdugo and White when Acuña returns,” Rosenthal continues. 

It’s certainly not a problem the Braves thought they might have a few weeks ago, when their outfield was performing as bad as any other group in baseball. Perhaps a committee approach could be used in the future, with Eli White facing lefties and Alex Verdugo playing against right-handed pitchers. Although, it’s worth noting White’s offensive numbers are actually better against righties.

Verdugo has a career .782 OPS against righties and a .648 OPS against lefties. White has a .673 OPS against righties and .508 OPS against southpaws across his career, with a .975 OPS and .697 OPS, respectively, across the 2025 campaign.

The sample size isn’t very large. White only has 511 plate appearances over his major-league career, but it may not be as simple as a typical platoon situation. Brian Snitker might be better off just rolling with the hot-hand, and Verdugo’s track record suggests he’ll eventually win that battle

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