If the Atlanta Braves don’t shake things up soon, they could find themselves watching October baseball from the couch. The starting rotation is dealing with injury problems, and there are glaring holes in the batting lineup.
So, what do you do when Plans A, B, and C aren’t cutting it? You start looking under the hood for fresh spark, and Nacho Alvarez Jr. is making a lot of noise.
Nacho’s Hot Streak Is Impossible For Braves to Ignore
Alvarez, just 22 years old, returned from injury and hasn’t wasted a second reminding everyone why he’s on the radar. In seven games for the Gwinnett Stripers, he’s hitting a ridiculous .455 with a homer, a couple of doubles, and a .636 on-base percentage. Throw in a 1.318 OPS, and suddenly, you’ve got a kid knocking down the door to Atlanta with a baseball bat.
Let’s not forget — people cooled on Alvarez after a brief, quiet eight-game stint with the Braves last season. But anyone who’s followed his time in AAA knows that slump didn’t tell the whole story. Since the start of last year, he’s slashed .310 with 11 homers in 71 games. That’s not noise. That’s production. And it’s production the Braves desperately need.
The Albies Question No One Wants to Ask
Here’s the elephant in the room — where would Alvarez play? Austin Riley’s locked in at third. Shortstop doesn’t project as a long-term fit for Nacho at the major-league level. So, second base? That’s where things get a little uncomfortable.
Because Ozzie Albies — a fan favorite, clubhouse guy, and longtime Brave — has been brutal at the plate this season. We’re talking a .224 average and a .625 OPS. The power? Gone. The plate discipline? Never really there. It’s one thing to have a slump — it’s another to be a black hole in the lineup while the rest of the offense sputters around you. And right now, Albies has not gotten it done. He has been turning thing around as of late though.
Nobody wants to see him benched or replaced — he’s earned respect and patience. The Braves can’t afford to keep rolling out a struggling Albies while Nacho Alvarez is tearing up AAA like he’s got a point to prove.
It’s Not a Matter of “If” — It’s “When”
So what’s next? Is Alvarez the spark that shakes up the infield? Is he the unexpected postseason x-factor? No one’s making that call just yet — but the conversation is shifting. If Albies doesn’t wake up with the bat soon, and Nacho keeps raking like this, the Braves front office may have no choice but to pull the trigger.
It may not be this week. It may not even be this month. But if things keep trending in this direction, Nacho Alvarez Jr. could be the Braves’ next bold move. And honestly? They might need him more than they’re willing to admit.
