As injuries and playing time decisions mount, another shortstop option emerges for the Braves.
As the grind of the MLB season wears on and the strain of competition begins to take its toll on even the most resilient teams, the Atlanta Braves have found themselves in a situation that demands both adaptability and foresight. The shortstop position, traditionally one of consistency and strength for the team, has become a revolving door of sorts in 2025, with injuries, performance dips, and managerial decisions all playing significant roles in determining who takes the field on any given day. With each passing series, the challenge of fielding a reliable and effective player at shortstop has become increasingly difficult, and yet, amid the uncertainty, another potential answer has begun to emerge. As the Braves fight to remain among the National League’s elite, the appearance of a new candidate at shortstop might prove to be a turning point not only for the player involved but for the trajectory of the team’s season.
Coming into the season, the Braves had every reason to believe they were set at the shortstop position. The expectation was that Orlando Arcia, who solidified the position in 2023 and 2024 with his reliable glove and timely hitting, would once again serve as the linchpin of the infield. Arcia brought stability and a quiet leadership to the role, making the routine plays, communicating well with his fellow infielders, and providing modest but valuable offensive production from the bottom of the lineup. However, early in the 2025 campaign, Arcia began to show signs of wear. A nagging hamstring injury limited his range and affected his timing at the plate, leading the Braves’ coaching staff to begin searching for alternatives, if only temporarily.
Initially, the team turned to internal depth options, including veteran utilityman Luis Guillorme and minor league call-up Luke Waddell. Guillorme, known for his versatility and glove-first profile, performed admirably in short stints, showcasing his slick fielding and savvy baseball IQ. Yet his bat remained an issue, as his offensive limitations prevented him from holding down the position for more than a handful of games at a time. Waddell, meanwhile, brought youth and energy to the mix, but the transition to everyday major league pitching proved challenging. While his defense held up reasonably well, he struggled to consistently put the ball in play and failed to provide the kind of offensive spark the Braves needed from the bottom of their lineup, particularly in tight divisional matchups.
As the revolving door at shortstop continued to turn, attention began to shift to the Braves’ farm system, where several intriguing options were quietly making names for themselves. Among them was Nacho Alvarez Jr., a former fifth-round draft pick who had steadily climbed the organizational ranks thanks to his impressive glove work, quick hands, and mature plate approach. Scouts inside and outside the organization noted his advanced feel for the game, his high baseball IQ, and his leadership traits—qualities that increasingly aligned with what the Braves needed at the major league level. Though not a top-100 prospect nationally, Alvarez had emerged as one of the most dependable infielders in the system and had been drawing attention from Atlanta’s front office since Spring Training.
With the Braves navigating a stretch of difficult opponents and needing to shore up their defense up the middle, the club made the decision in early June to promote Alvarez to the big league roster. The move was met with cautious optimism. While Alvarez was not expected to be a world-beater at the plate, the hope was that his glove and baseball savvy would immediately translate. From his first few games in the majors, Alvarez appeared calm, confident, and more than capable of handling the duties of a big-league shortstop. His footwork was smooth, his arm accurate, and his positioning flawless. Though he committed a throwing error in his debut—a minor hiccup that seemed more about adrenaline than ability—he quickly bounced back with a string of clean games in the field, helping to stabilize what had been a turbulent defensive situation.
Offensively, Alvarez surprised some observers by showing an advanced eye at the plate. While he did not launch home runs or scorch doubles off the wall, he consistently put together quality at-bats, working counts and making contact. His on-base percentage through his first ten games sat above .340, and he displayed an ability to bunt for hits, move runners over, and execute situational hitting—all traits that appealed to manager Brian Snitker, especially in games where manufacturing runs was essential. Moreover, Alvarez’s presence seemed to have a ripple effect on the rest of the infield. Ozzie Albies, freed from the responsibility of covering excessive ground up the middle, looked more comfortable and engaged. Matt Olson at first base expressed appreciation for Alvarez’s consistent throws, and even the outfielders noted improved communication on shallow pop-ups and cutoffs.
In a league increasingly obsessed with power and exit velocity, the arrival of a defense-first shortstop with modest offensive expectations might seem like a step backward. Yet for the Braves, Alvarez’s contributions have been anything but minor. His insertion into the lineup has coincided with a defensive uptick that has helped the team weather a mid-season lull. Groundball pitchers like Bryce Elder and AJ Smith-Shawver have benefited noticeably from the improved infield defense, with their ERAs dipping slightly in games where Alvarez starts. Perhaps most importantly, his consistency and reliability have allowed the Braves to breathe a bit easier while they wait for Arcia to return to full strength—or potentially redefine his role as a utility infielder instead of the everyday shortstop.
The emergence of Alvarez also raises important questions for the Braves’ long-term planning. With Vaughn Grissom already converted into more of a utility role and Braden Shewmake no longer in the organization, the internal depth at shortstop had looked thinner than in years past. If Alvarez continues to show he can handle major league pitching while anchoring the defense, the Braves may have found their long-term solution at the position. That would allow them to allocate resources elsewhere, whether in strengthening the bullpen, adding another outfield bat, or extending arbitration-eligible players. It also gives them a better idea of how to structure their roster heading into the trade deadline, particularly if other teams come calling for middle infield depth.
Still, it is important to temper expectations. Alvarez is not a finished product, and opposing pitchers will surely begin to adjust to his tendencies. His swing path can get long at times, and he lacks the raw power that might allow him to punish mistakes consistently. Defensively, he has looked every bit the part of a major league shortstop, but even elite defenders can go through rough patches. How he responds to adversity—whether in the form of a prolonged slump, a key error in a high-stakes game, or simply the physical grind of a 162-game season—will determine how sustainable his success truly is.
The Braves, to their credit, are not putting undue pressure on Alvarez. The messaging from the clubhouse has been clear: do your job, play clean defense, and trust your instincts. In many ways, Alvarez embodies the kind of player the Braves have traditionally valued—high character, high effort, and team-first. With stars like Ronald Acuña Jr., Austin Riley, and Matt Olson providing the power, and Albies continuing to serve as the emotional spark plug of the clubhouse, there’s no need for Alvarez to do more than play his role. And so far, he has done just that, turning double plays with fluidity, diving to keep balls on the infield, and even picking up clutch singles that extend innings and flip the lineup.
Fans have begun to take notice as well. What began as cautious curiosity has grown into genuine excitement, with each game offering a new highlight or display of baseball instincts that spark memories of Braves shortstops of the past. It’s still too early to make sweeping comparisons, but the early signs are encouraging. Alvarez is not trying to be the next Andrelton Simmons or Rafael Furcal; he’s carving out his own identity, one pitch at a time, one play at a time.
The Braves find themselves in a unique position. Their core remains among the strongest in the National League, and their expectations for October baseball are unchanged. But the road to a championship is rarely straightforward, and every contending team must endure periods of improvisation and adaptation. In 2025, the shortstop position has become one of those inflection points for Atlanta—a position once seen as a given, now a storyline in and of itself. As Arcia heals and others await opportunities, Nacho Alvarez Jr. continues to seize his moment. Whether his current run becomes a footnote or the beginning of a larger chapter will be determined in the months ahead. But for now, in a season of uncertainty and attrition, the Braves may have found stability in the most unexpected of places.
