Atlanta Braves: Ender Inciarte Living Up to Expectations
By Kit Anderson
With huge expectations, Ender Inciarte has grown into centerfielder the Atlanta Braves expected him to be.
Ender Inciarte struggled at the start of this season with the Atlanta Braves, but down the stretch, has become the player the Braves expected him to be.
Inciarte struggled to get hits the first half of this season, limping into the All-Star break with a less than impressive start to the season. Despite his struggles, he still maintained great defense in center field. He saved runs, at what felt like at times on a nightly basis, and was compared to former Braves shortstop Andrelton Simmons.
While it may seem odd to compare a center fielder to a shortstop, the comparison makes sense. Both players have an amazing defensive instinct and consistently steal hits away from the opposing team.
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The biggest difference between the two players? Ender Inciarte is a much better hitter with above-average speed and great baserunning ability. While he struggled to show that early this season, he has bounced back putting up a high on-base percentage and getting on-base more so than he has at any other time in his career.
Inciarte’s production has made the Braves’ offseason deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks appear even more one sided than first thought. For those who do not remember, here is a review of this past offseason’s trade. The Braves dealt Shelby Miller and Gabe Speier to the D-backs and received both Ender Inciarte, Dansby Swanson and pitching prospect Aaron Blair. The deal thus far looks to be very one-sided as Shelby Miller has struggled all season, recently being demoted to the minor leagues.
Dansby Swanson was a number one pick in the MLB draft and quickly made his way to the Major Leagues, now being the undisputed starting shortstop of the Atlanta Braves. He has hit .255 thus far and hasn’t looked to be overmatched. Aaron Blair has shared Miller’s struggles but still has plenty of time to figure it out as he is yet to spend extended time in the Major Leagues.
While Swanson may have been the centerpiece of the blockbuster deal, Ender Inciarte has been the best player for either side this season.
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Inciarte hit .227 in the first half of the season looking to be a well below average offensive player. Since the All-star break that has changed, he has hit a sizzling .370, racking up sixty-eight hits in 204 at-bats. He has quickly gone from a possible trade piece to an important building block in the Braves future.