Will Weiss return Acuña to leadoff spot? 'It's enticing'

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Now that Ronald Acuña Jr. is further distanced from his latest knee surgery, Braves manager Walt Weiss is open to the possibility of moving the 2023 National League Most Valuable Player back to the leadoff spot.

“It’s enticing to have him at the top of the order,” Weiss said. “I really like when a lineup turns over and there’s teeth right away. If you’re a pitcher, you’ve got to run through a gauntlet as soon as the lineup turns over.”

Acuña was removed from the leadoff spot last July, partly because he wasn’t the same stolen base threat he had been in the past. His decreased aggression was a product of tearing his right ACL in 2021 and his left ACL in '24. But now that Acuña has had further time to recover, his legs could once again become one of his great weapons.

This isn’t to say Acuña will match the 73 steals he had during his historic 40/70 season in 2023. But the six stolen bases he has recorded through his first eight games in the Venezuelan Winter League are an indication he’s feeling more confident about his two surgically repaired knees.

If Acuña moves to the leadoff spot, where would the Braves bat Jurickson Profar, who had a .362 on-base percentage and .763 OPS over the 72 games (334 plate appearances) he served as Atlanta’s leadoff hitter last year?

Profar’s OBP indicates he could be an effective table setter if the Braves choose to bat him leadoff and put Acuña in the third spot. But he’s not necessarily the best option.

Acuña struggled in 2022 when he returned from his first knee surgery, then took his game to an incredible level in '23. If the same trend holds true, last year’s results might have just set the stage for the 27-year-old outfielder to have another monstrous season.

Even if Acuña isn’t as incredible as he was during his ridiculous 2023 season, he still has a chance to be one of the game’s most dynamic leadoff hitters. The 1.012 OPS he produced as a leadoff hitter in '23 is the fourth-highest mark by any player with at least 500 plate appearances in the lineup’s first spot.

The three higher marks were produced by Mookie Betts (1.083 in 2018), Shohei Ohtani (1.022 in '25) and Rickey Henderson (1.018 in 1990).

Here are a few other interesting tidbits from Weiss’ meeting with media members at the Winter Meetings on Tuesday.

Is Weiss tempted to move Reynaldo López back to a relief role?
“Not so much tempted, but it’s a nice fallback plan,” Weiss said. “I get these same questions about Grant Holmes. These guys will be built up as starters in Spring Training. But it's really nice to know that whatever – because of acquisitions, because of health or somebody all of a sudden steps up and opens your eyes – it's nice to know those guys can [be relievers]. They've done it before, and they've been really good at it. But sitting here today, we're looking at them as starters.”

The Braves’ rotation decisions will be influenced by the health of López – who is returning from arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder with the hope of proving he can remain healthy as a starter for the first time since the first half of 2024 – and Holmes, who is attempting to avoid right elbow surgery.

Chris Sale, Spencer Strider and Spencer Schwellenbach are targeted to fill the rotation’s first three spots. López is currently slotted into the fourth spot. Holmes, Bryce Elder, Joey Wentz and Hurston Waldrep are fifth starter candidates. Holmes, Elder and Wentz are out of options. So if there’s a need to preserve depth, Waldrep could begin the season with Triple-A Gwinnett.

As a former shortstop, what are Weiss’ thoughts about Mauricio Dubón possibly being the Braves’s everyday shortstop?
“[Dubón] protects us in a variety of ways because he can play all over the field,” Weiss said. “It's plus defense everywhere he goes. But he can play shortstop, and as we sit here today, he's running out to shortstop. Things can change. We know [Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos] is always working. But I have no problem with Dubón playing shortstop.”

Ha-Seong Kim remains an option to be the Braves’ shortstop. But his market likely won’t develop until Bo Bichette signs with a team.