Atlanta Braves State of the System: Shortstop

With almost every position locked up for several years, shortstop remains the one big question mark for the Atlanta Braves going forward. 

Orlando Arcia is under team control for three more seasons at just $2 million -- remaining one of the best values in baseball. But on a team that is loaded, Arcia projects to have the lowest wRC+ of any starter in 2024 at 96, which is just below the league average of 100. 

While Arcia is a solid defender at shortstop with a strong arm, he doesn't have a ton of range. 

Because of the talent around him, there isn't an immediate need for the Braves to make an upgrade at shortstop, which is a good thing because they don't have anyone in the system who is close to being ready. 

Leaving Spring Training last year you felt pretty good about the depth at shortstop with the bat of Vaughn Grissom and the glove of Braden Shewmake. 

Now both are gone, leaving many to wonder what the future of the position looks like in Atlanta. 

Luke Waddell -- The 25-year-old and 5th-round pick out of Georgia Tech isn't likely to be an everyday shortstop with his 5-foot-7 frame. That said, he does handle the position well enough. 

At the plate, he's more of a contact/on-base hitter with some speed. Last year he slashed .275/.384/.376 at Double-A and Triple-A with 8 home runs, 29 stolen bases, 85 walks, and just 72 strikeouts in 130 games. 

Waddell's value is in a super-utility role on the bench. 

Cal Conley -- Similar in size to Waddell, Conley isn't likely to be an everyday shortstop. His offense took a nose dive at Double-A in 2023 when he hit just .219 with 3 home runs in 135 games. 

He also figures to be a bench/utility player at the next level. 

Ignacio Alvarez -- Perhaps the most talked about hitting prospect in the system, Alvarez played 107 games at shortstop last year and got rave reviews for his quick hands. 

The arm is strong enough to stay on the left side as well, but there are concerns about whether or not he'll have enough range. 

On the offensive side, he has great contact and on-base skills with the chance for power. 

Ambioris Tavarez -- The first big international signing after penalties eased up, Tavarez has had a slow start to his career. 

After being signed in January of 2021 thoracic outlet syndrome delayed his development as he recovered from surgery. He played just 17 games in 2022 at the FCL level before getting 108 games at Single-A Augusta in 2023. 

The results weren't great slashing .216/.319/.337 with 7 home runs, 21 stolen bases, and 20 caught stealing. Perhaps most concerning is a 40.8 percent strikeout rate. 

Watching Tavarez throughout the season it was pretty obvious he's trying to make adjustments with his swing. 

There is still reason to be hopeful, but overcoming a 40 percent strikeout rate in Single-A is hard to do. If he can figure it out at the plate he has the most potential of anyone to stick at shortstop defensively. 

Diego Benitez -- Another toolsy international signee, Benitez struggled at the DSL level in 2022 but showed some improvement in 2023 with a .724 OPS. 

It's too early to say much about him as he's yet to make the jump to a full-season league, but most scouts believe he'll move over to third as gets bigger. 

Mario Baez -- An international signee out of the Dominican Republic. At 16 years old he put up big numbers in the DSL slashing .311/.393/.422 with 3 home runs and 24 stolen bases in 47 games. 

Again, it's too early to tell if he'll be able to stay at shortstop. 

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