Atlanta Braves tough decisions: Johan Camargo does he stay or play AAA?
By Fred Owens
After his first two seasons, a young Atlanta infielder flashed a Gold Glove defense and looked like a key member of a championship roster and a future star; then he didn’t.
Atlanta Braves fans love Johan Camargo. A few weeks ago, Edgar wrote about Camargo’s future as the Braves’ super-utility player. Since then Camargo’s defense looks better but his bat is still languishing in the Mendoza-line area, As a player with options, the question of whether he breaks camp with Atlanta or moves to the alternate site remains unanswered.
Camargo plays the game with a smile, and looked like a key member of the roster when he finished 2018 batting .273/.349/.457/.806, with 27 doubles and 19 homers; but something happened along the way.
Camargo headed into the offseason expecting to third base in 2019. Then the Atlanta Braves signed Josh Donaldson, and GM Alex Anthopoulos told everyone Camargo was the team’s Swiss Army Knife. He’d play everywhere and give manager Brian Snitker the ability to rest player without shortening the lineup. Unfortunately, it didn’t work that way.
After playing a full season (134 games) for the first time is his career, Camargo understandably skipped winter ball and came to camp carrying extra weight. In retrospect, he might have added the weight in an attempt to add more power. If that was his goal, it didn’t work; 2019 was a nightmare for Camargo.
If anyone paid attention to his peripherals in 2018, they left him alone; when a player’s hitting well, no one wants to mess with success. He stumbled out of the gate in 2019, and found himself batting a meager .222/.268/.344/.612 on August 15, when the Braves optioned him to Gwinnett.
Manager Brian Snitker used Camargo sparingly after he returned to Atlanta on September 1, and the Braves left him off of their postseason roster.
Atlanta Braves Spring training brought hope.
When Spring Training began in 2020, Camargo looked ready. He went 8-28 including a homer, and batted .286/.333/.464/.798 in 30 PA, while once again playing third base. Then the COVID-19 situation shut everything down.
Camargo opened the 2020 sprint for the championship as a fixture in the lineup, starting nine of the first 13 games at third. He moved to second for the next 22 games when Ozzie Albies went on the IL. However, he lacked consistency at the plate and ended the year batting .200/.244/.367/.611, with an OPS+ of 58.
Seeking to fix whatever was wrong, Camargo returned to winter ball, playing for Aguilas in the Dominican Winter league. Unfortunately, the story was that same there; he went 12-52 and batted .212/.311/.231/.542 in 61 PA.