The Braves will have an open competition at shortstop following the departure of Dansby Swanson. The favorite is Vaughn Grissom. He’s the future at the position, and the Braves would like him to start every game if he’s up to the challenge. However, Orlando Arcia is no slouch, and he’s the only player on the roster with experience starting at shortstop.
This continues my series where I predict the 2023 stats of each Braves player. If you missed any of the previous editions to this series, follow the links below.
Orlando Arcia’s 2023 Stat Predictions
Filling in for Ozzie Albies, Orlando Arcia actually put up the best numbers of his career offensively, recording 104 wRC+ over 68 games. If he was tasked to play an entire season, I expect those numbers would regress back to the mean, but I don’t think he will be an everyday player this year either.
I have Grissom starting most of the games at shortstop. I think he will win the job out of Spring Training and hold onto it the entire season. He’s the better all-around play, and the Braves want him to be the starter. However, Arcia will get some run, whether it’s at shortstop or filling in for another injured player. He also has some experience playing in the outfield, which could prove to be useful if Eddie Rosario and Marcell Ozuna continue to struggle offensively.
FanGraphs projects Arcia will see action in 76 games. Hopefully, it’s less than that, but it sounds about right. I see him finishing the season with similar numbers to what he posted last year.
Orlando Arcia’s 2023 State Predictions: .237/.301/.366, .667 OPS, 6 home runs, 31 RBIs, 0.6 fWAR
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Photo: Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire
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