Atlanta Braves: Why Johan Camargo has the higher upside at 3B

Atlanta Braves 2020 Preview: Josh Donaldson left a wake of bickering between fans in his exit. A prominent name in the organization over the past several years pegged Camargo as the player with the higher upside.

It seems like ages ago when it was announced that Josh Donaldson had signed with the Minnesota Twins. In the aftermath, Atlanta Braves fans were left picking up pieces of their hearts and then attempting to look forward.

We wanted a pristine view of the future of the position but there was a fog of uncertainty blurring our vision. There has been much debate around whether Austin Riley or Johan Camargo will level up and claim stardom at the hot corner in Atlanta.

Recently, a prominent name who was with the organization for several years (until this past offseason) spoke with me on an episode of the Tomahawk Take Podcast.

That man was, among many other things, the radio play-by-play announcer for the Gwinnett Braves/Stripers, Tony Schiavone.

Tony had the opportunity to watch both Austin Riley and Johan Camargo and call their games in AAA-Gwinnett.

With a great view from the press box, Schiavone has a perspective worth listening to regarding the potential of the two Braves.

Atlanta Braves 3B: Tony Schiavone on Austin Riley

“Austin is a great kid and works pretty hard. Obviously, when he was called up he was a sensation but as the old adage goes -and it was right- once they learned how to pitch to him, it quickly changed. He strikes out a lot and that concerns me. He’s a very good third baseman, not a sensational third baseman, but a very good third baseman.

Schiavone went on to say, “I’m not so sure that he is the third baseman of the future with this team. That’s just my take on it and it’s only because he’s got that real long swing and strikes out…”

Atlanta Braves 3B: Tony Schiavone on Johan Camargo

“Johan Camargo, I know he’s made plenty of errors that ended up costing the Braves. He had some sort of flair for the dramatic when he was in Triple-A. When we needed a big hit he always seemed to come through. I really think he’s going to be fine.”

Atlanta Braves 3B: Tony Schiavone’s Final Thoughts

“I’ve seen enough of them to know that I think that Camargo has more upside as far as hitting is concerned. Austin Riley, I think is going to end up being a better defender.”

I pointed out that a lot of people believe the ceiling

“I only say that because he’s a switch hitter but we’ll see. Hell, I’ve been wrong! I hate to say that about Austin because I like him so much and he’s a good kid.”

Tony certainly has a qualified opinion on the matter. What are your thoughts?

You can listen to the entire podcast here:

Listen to “EPISODE17 Interview with Tony Schiavone” on Spreaker.

Do you think Camargo can be the total package at third or will Riley learn how to hit big-league pitching well enough to stay in the lineup and power his way into a 30-homer player?

Let us know in the comments below!