Atlanta Braves Roster
- NL East
- Stadium
- Truist Park
Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. can potentially join the likes of Alex Rodriguez, Mike Troutand Ken Griffey Jr. as the only players in MLB history to hit 80 home runs and steal 70 bases by the age of 22. Even in the shortened 2020 campaign, Acuna only needs 13 HRs and 17 stolen bases to reach the hallowed mark. The Venezuelan phenom is one of the brightest young talents in all of baseball and remains one of the top fantasy assets for the 2020 season.
Atlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman is starting to feel better after developing COVID-19 symptoms last week. The star infielder is still in quarantine, and he will have to receive a pair of negative tests before joining his teammates. Thankfully, it appears as though Freeman is trending in the right direction. If Freeman can return relatively early on in the season, he remains one of the most well-rounded fantasy hitters in baseball.
If Atlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman, who tested positive for COVID-19, isn't ready for the start of the regular season, third baseman/outfielder Austin Riley could fill in at first base. Either Riley or Johan Camargo will likely start the year at the hot corner. Austin has looked really good [at first base], manager Brian Snitker said. Hed be fine defensively there. Theres no doubt in my mind. Adam Duvall is also capable of playing first base, but he could see time in left field, especially with Nick Markakis opting not to play in 2020. Yonder Alonso and Peter O'Brien are also candidate for first, but they'd have to be added to the 40-man roster. No matter how you slice it, Riley's fantasy value is on the rise with the designated hitter in play, Freeman potentially missing the start of the year and Markakis sitting out. The young slugger can give fantasy owners plenty of power, but he'll need to make more contact to become more of a complete player.
Atlanta Braves starting pitchers Mike Soroka, Mike Foltynewicz and Sean Newcomb spent the last few months working out together at a field in Atlanta, and manager Brian Snitker has noticed the work they've put in. Some of the live [batting practices] weve had have been impressive, Snitker said. Newcomb and Folty were just nails. You could tell they had been working pretty hard during this layoff. Soroka is the most attractive from a fantasy perspective after posting a 2.68 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 142 K's in 174 2/3 innings over 29 starts in his first full season with Atlanta. If he can find a way to miss more bats, he'll be a strong SP2. Folty had an excellent second half last year and is worth a flier to round out your rotation. Newcomb can probably be left to NL-only leagues. Keep in mind that Atlanta may limit their starter's workloads early in the season, too, so that'll limit their upside out of the gates.
Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker announced on Monday that outfielder Nick Markakis has elected to skip the 2020 season due to concerns around COVID-19. Markakis makes the decision after Atlanta announced that four players tested positive for the coronavirus on Saturday, including first baseman Freddie Freeman. Markakis, 36, is a .288/.358/.424 hitter with 188 home runs over 14 major league seasons. He's sitting on 2,355 base hits in his career, 635 shy of the 3,000-hit plateau. You can obviously scratch the veteran outfielder off your 2020 cheat sheets. Markakis' absence this year will ensure that Austin Riley and Adam Duvall see more consistent playing time either in the outfield or at designated hitter.