Atlanta Braves and third base: is there any resolution in sight?

Every game continues to suggest that there isn’t anyone who wants to give up on the competition, and the Atlanta Braves haven’t signaled a favorite yet either.

We’ve been suggesting for a while now our expectation that Johan Camargo will be the starting third baseman for the Atlanta Braves when the season opens, with Austin Riley getting extra hitting work in Gwinnett.

I don’t think Riley got that memo.  Or cares about its content, for that matter.

Both players are getting long looks, for sure:  Riley – who played 3rd on Friday – now has edged ahead in AB’s 21 to 18, but that will almost certain be equalized on Saturday.

We chatted briefly about this budding rivalry just a couple of days ago… but it’s really becoming a thing as the days continue to count off toward the March 26 opening day.  So it’s certainly worth further discussion.

Both players are hitting… a lot.  While the adage of ‘you can’t read anything into Spring numbers’ is clearly in mind (good thing – Acuna is batting a Bingo call:  “Oh-ninety-five…”), these numbers will still get your attention:

• Camargo:  1.032 OPS (HR, 2B, 5 RBI, 3K)
• Riley:  1.030 OPS (2HR, 2B, 4 RBI, 4K, BB)

Even Chipper Jones – talking on the broadcast Friday and later to Mark Bowman of MLB.com – was having a struggle to answer a posed question about what the Braves should do:

"What [Riley] does to the lineup if he is swinging well is huge. Now, you’ve got dangerous down in the six- or seven-hole. The kid is dangerous. I love [Johan] Camargo. He’s got to play on this team for me somewhere. If he’s not starting, he certainly needs to have a spot. He’s too versatile. He’s a switch-hitter. We’ve seen what he can do a couple years ago. I’m pulling for both guys. We’ll see how the rest of this spring plays out."

If you do believe in the numbers you’re seeing from these guys, the best lineup you could assemble right now would involve both players… but the trouble is that there just isn’t room for that to happen… barring an injury either in the outfield or to Swanson at shortstop.

But – so far at least – there’s been no hint of any dramatic upheaval in the lineup and (happily) everyone seems healthy.

Change of Plans?

We’ve had this nagging and recurring thought (not just me, but others writing on this site, too) that Atlanta Braves would shuttle Camargo and Riley back and forth from Gwinnett for the Spring and early Summer, then perhaps do the ‘All In’ deed and make the big trade for Nolan Arenado.

But what if that’s not necessary?  What if Camargo proves that he really is more than just a super-utility guy and more like Martin Prado with power?  What if Riley shows that he can lay off the ‘out pitches’ (he did so in a nice AB ending in a walk today) and hold the strikeouts to a manageable level while making fans pay attention as they walk along outfield concourses?

It’s a best-case scenario, but one that Atlanta clearly hadn’t been banking on.  In fact, their pursuit of other options (Donaldson, eventually Ozuna) to make sure there was a decent bat in the lineup belies the fact that there was clear uncertainty about how this third base thing would proceed.

But so far… starting pitchers are holding together… third base competition is red-hot… heck, even Shane Greene had a nice outing on Friday for the first time in quite a while.

There may be a ‘separation factor’ coming.  As the starting pitchers go longer into games and start throwing more of their repertoire, one or the other (or both) will likely start to struggle a bit with the bat… maybe.

But if this continues… there might be some curious chess-piece moves taking place in smoke-filled rooms to figure out how best to manage a fairly nice problem.