Hey did you see Jorge Mateo hit a home run last night for the Rays? Here you go. This was 101.7 MPH off the bat and 31 degree launch angle. That’s good for 406 feet and a no-doubter.
Jorge Mateo was designated for assignment shortly after the trade deadline. He was jettisoned for the return of the off-injured Ha-Seong Kim, among other transactions that day. He was eventually released on August 9th and picked up by the Rays on the 13th. He’s got 2 hits and a stolen base in 4 games with the Rays, but boy was that one hit a big one. The Braves decided after the deadline that Mauricio Dubon, Lane Thomas, Mike Yastremski and Jim Jarvis would fit their needs in left field and shortstop. Do you know where the Braves rank at shortstop from August 3rd through the 16th? It’s 29th in wRC+, WAR, and last in OBP and wOBA. They’re 17th defensively, but not much with the stick.
Mateo had a very nice 2022 with Baltimore. However, as of last night he’s sporting a career 76 wRC+ with 34 (now 35) HRs over 1550+ plate appearances. He’s definitely defense-first and can fill in around the infield. The projections had him just this side of replacement-level, though. I’d argue, but coming off his 2025 that feels fair.
I think the Braves attempted to give Jorge a try out at shortstop. He played 5 consecutive games from June 19-24. He netted one hit and four strikeouts in 11 PAs. He played 5 games from June 30 to July 6th. He grabbed only 2 singles and 6 strikeouts in 15 PAs. I think the Braves gave up at that point, then entered Jim Jarvis with his hot start. Jorge is unfortunately, just another guy.
However, at least we know what level Mateo is on. What exactly is Ha-Seong Kim right now? He’s had a hand injury over the offseason, then was unplayable on return. He spent time again on the Injured List for reasons and took up residence at the Complex and Triple-A Gwinnett. I guess he’s a 20-million-dollar 26th man, which is about 19 million dollars more than necessary. The Braves must see his September of last year and given enough time, he could recreate this September and hopefully October. It feels like wishcasting at this point.
The Braves are going to play Jim Jarvis for now. He had a 132 wRC+ over 348 PAs in Gwinnett, y’all. The Braves think they have something. He hit 6 home runs in Gwinnett so maybe they think the power is coming along. And for all my “play the kids” mantra of yesteryear, I’m gonna double down as well. It’s a big picture approach over the present that assumed the Braves can lurch into the playoffs, if necessary.
So should the Braves have kept Jorge Mateo? Eventually roughly replacement-level Jorge became replaced. He does have a pulse, though. Is that enough? Maybe we should ask why the Braves couldn’t have come up with another excuse to keep Kim on the Injured List.