For Yaz, roots with Braves go back to childhood

ATLANTA -- Mike Yastrzemski’s connection to the Braves extends beyond any interactions his grandfather might have had with fellow Hall of Famer Hank Aaron. It also extends beyond the fact that two of his childhood idols were Chipper Jones and Andruw Jones.

And his dad’s first Minor League manager was a 28-year-old former catcher named Brian Snitker, who was guiding the Braves’ Single-A Durham club during that summer of 1984.

“My dad played in the Braves' system back in the day,” Yastrzemski said. “Any time the Braves came through Fenway [Park], we'd always go and say hi to Bobby Cox, because my dad knew him. So, I have these long-term memories of rooting for the Braves from afar.”

Along with growing up in Massachusetts, Yastrzemski is also the grandson of Boston sports legend Carl Yastrzemski. So he was obviously baptized a Red Sox fan. But he counted a signed Cox glove as one of his most treasured childhood memories.

So it’s easy to understand why Yastrzemski was thrilled with the opportunity he gained on Wednesday night when he signed a two-year, $23 million deal with the Braves. The Royals’ attempt to re-sign the 35-year-old veteran was trumped by childhood memories and championship aspirations.

“You only have so many chances to win,” Yastrzemski said. “That was the first thing that drew me here, the strong commitment to constantly trying to win a championship. As a player, how could you want anything else?”

The Braves have enhanced their 2026 World Series hopes over the past two days. They fortified their bullpen by signing Robert Suarez to a three-year, $45 million deal on Thursday. This move was announced about 16 hours after the team revealed Yastrzemski had signed his deal.

Yastrzemski will primarily play against right-handed pitchers, and his primary roles will be to serve as either the designated hitter or the left fielder. He can play each of the outfield spots. But a majority of his defensive starts will come in left because he is a better defensive option than Jurickson Profar.

Is this how Yastrzemski expects to be used?

“They tried to explain everything about how they'd like to use me, and being as polite as I could, I tried to cut them off and told them, 'Look, I don't care. I want to be a part of an organization that wins.' With them showing me the commitment [of] a two-year guaranteed deal, that gives me the ability to 100 percent buy in, be the best teammate I can and try to find any given way to help them out.”

The left-handed Yastrzemski had an .808 OPS against right-handed pitchers and a .427 OPS against lefties this past season. His power increased after he was traded from the Giants to Kansas City in July. He had a .355 slugging percentage in 372 plate appearances with San Francisco and a .500 slugging percentage in 186 plate appearances with the Royals.

Yastrzemski will come to Atlanta hoping to extend that late-season success while also realizing some of those childhood dreams he developed while carrying that Cox-signed glove around.

“It was this dark brown leather glove that Bobby signed for me the first time I met him,” Yastrzemski said. “When I was a young kid, I was so obsessed with it. I'd sleep with it. I used it until I went to high school. I was like, 'I'm not getting rid of this thing.'”