Atlanta Braves: Why Dansby Swanson and Ender Inciarte Are Key to Offense in 2019

If the Atlanta Braves are going to take the next step offensively in 2019, they need Dansby Swanson and Ender Inciarte to get on track.

There is no question that the Atlanta Braves offense struggled mightily towards the end of last season and into the playoffs. And there is reason to believe that they will continue to regress in 2019.

While I think Freddie Freeman and Ronald Acuna are more than capable of putting up similar — if not better — numbers in 2019 than the did last year, almost everyone else in the lineup overachieved.

Nick Markakis had a career season that is not likely to be duplicated. Ozzie Albies had a torrid start to the season, but then slumped in the second half, so we don’t really know what he will be at the major league level yet.

Role players like Johan Camargo and Charlie Culberson also probably did more than their norms last year with 19 and 12 home runs respectively. I don’t know if you can count on them being that productive in 2019.

Kurt Suzuki was also really solid for the Braves last year hitting .271 with 12 home runs. I’m not sure if Brian McCann can match that production — at least not the average.

The only players who really underperformed on offense last year where Dansby Swanson and Ender Inciarte.

And in Ender’s case, he really only struggled for half that season as he was great in the second half and finished with decent numbers, but they still weren’t close to what he’s capable of doing over an entire season.

Inciarte has a career average of .289, and that’s about where I think he should be. With his speed and ability to hit to all fields, there is no reason why he can’t hit .290 this year.

He’s also hit double-digit home runs the past two season with that short porch in right at SunTrust.

If the Braves’ offense is going to improve in 2019, they need Ender to hit like he is capable and do so atop the lineup. I look for him to hit around .290 this season with close to 100 runs scored, 25 stolen bases and double-digit home runs.

As for Dansby, this is a big year for him. Last season we saw him make huge strides defensively, and that’s what kept him on the field. But we’ve still yet to see him mature as a hitter.

It sounds as if the wrist issue was a problem for him almost all of last year, so that buys him a pass for one more season.

More from Tomahawk Take

• Braves News: Dansby goes to the Cubs, prospect rankings, more
• The Paradox of Dansby Swanson
• Report: Dansby Swanson to sign seven year deal with Chicago Cubs
• Braves News: Braves add multiple new players, Max Fried extension?, more
• Ronald Acuña Jr Donates Venezuelan League Salary to Charity

However, this will be his third full season in the big leagues, and if he can’t hit better than .240, the Atlanta Braves will have a tough decision to make at shortstop in the future.

I’m still a huge believer in Dansby Swanson though, and I think he could be a difference maker in the lineup this year. I know the competitive spirit is there, and nobody on this team wants to win more than him.

It absolutely broke my heart that he didn’t get to play in the postseason last year as he’s one of the best competitors on the team and lives more the big moments.

If Dansby can just hit .260 at the bottom of the lineup this year with 15 home runs and a .330 on-base percentage, that would do wonders for this Braves offense.

Injuries and regression are a part of the game, and it’s likely the Atlanta Braves see that from some of their players who overachieved in 2018. But that production can be supplemented with bounce-back and breakout years by Dansby and Ender specifically.