Atlanta Braves lineup for their second 2018 Spring Training game

Braves lineup for 2nd Spring Training game

So here’s the deal…in the first game of the 2018 Spring Training season, we saw our young infielders of Ozzie Albies, Dansby Swanson and Johan Camargo.  Today, we see our phenom prospect roaming around our outfield!

That’s right, 20-year-old Ronald Acuna will be starting for the Atlanta Braves today!  He’s going to be slotted into the three-hole and start in center field.

Acuna played in 13 games for the Braves during the 2017 Spring Training, but he wasn’t this highly of a ranked prospect last year.  This season, all eyes are on him.

The Braves top prospect is actually competing for a job in these games.  He’s trying to prove he’s ready for the MLB debut and wants to force the Braves hands that he has to be on their Opening Day roster.  Now, the Braves aren’t against this, but the idea of the extra year of control is enticing.

This extra year would be a seventh season in the MLB before hitting the free agency market.  In all reality, if Acuna is as good as we’re all thinking he is, we should probably just sign him to a large contract early on.

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That’s extremely far in the future though…Braves front office can think about that.

Today though, is when it all starts.  Acuna and the Braves will face the defending World Series Champions…Houston Astros on Saturday afternoon.

We’ll see in this game former Braves catchers Evan Gattis and Brian McCann.

Braves will face right-handed pitcher Collin McHugh … at least for one inning.

Do these Spring Training games matter?  Yes.  Do the scores of these games matter?  No.  Don’t look too much into yesterday’s final score.  Braves were winning 2-0 going into the 8th inning, but then lost 6-2.  That’s okay.

Astros lineup looks like this…

1. Gonzalez 3B
2. Altuve 2B
3. Correa SS
4. Gattis C
5. McCann DH
6. Gurriel 1B
7. Kemmer LF
8. Garcia RF
9. Kemp CF

Collin McHugh Pitcher

Braves lineup looks like this…

1. Ozzie Albies 2B
2. Charlie Culberson SS
3. Acuna CF
4. Rio Ruiz 3B
5. Alex Jackson C
6. Preston Tucker LF
7. Austin Riley DH
8. Jaff Decker RF
9. Carlos Franco 1B

Sean Newcomb Pitcher

Next: Atlanta Braves might rethink repurposing Rio Ruiz

One more thing, you’ll probably enjoy this photo.  Thanks DOB!  Any and all behind the scenes of these two is GOLD!