'Infectious': Braves feed off Heredia's vibe

ATLANTA -- If you’ve attended a Braves game this year, you may not have seen Guillermo Heredia do anything spectacular on the field. But there’s a good chance you heard him.

“It's hard not to hear him,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “It's amazing how his voice carries. It's good. I mean, it's all good energy. I think it's great. It does keep the guys going. And you can't help but laugh. It's infectious and I love it. I love what he does in there.”

As the Braves play in this year’s National League Championship Series against the Dodgers, Heredia will continue to constantly chat with teammates, opponents, coaches and basically anybody within earshot of his usual spot, at the end of the dugout. The backup outfielder has totaled just 22 plate appearances since the start of September. But he’s recognized as a key reason Atlanta is once again one round away from the World Series.

“I’ve never been around anybody who talks like that,” Braves third-base coach Ron Washington said. “It’s forever. It’s not just for an inning. If we’re out here 10 or 11 innings, he’s out here going crazy for 10 or 11 innings. Honestly, he was one of the guys who kept us afloat. He was one of the guys who kept us around. He deserves a ton of credit.”

How can you give a ton of credit to a guy who produced a 0.6 WAR and 79 wRC+ during the regular season? Well, you can remember he was the one who filled the center-field void when it quickly became clear top prospect Cristian Pache wasn’t ready for the Majors. But his most significant value comes from the tremendous energy he has brought to the park on a daily basis, even while spending most of the season’s final two months as a backup.

“I think I’ve been around players who talk as much as Heredia, but it’s more about the energy it brings to the club,” Braves outfielder Eddie Rosario said. “I think he really focuses on making sure everyone on the club is feeling happy and upbeat. He just brings really good vibes to our team.”

It’s not just the talking. It’s the theatrics with the plastic swords Heredia uses to celebrate a home run or a walk-off victory. The 30-year-old Cuban’s love for the game is seen through the passion he brings to the park on a daily basis. He keeps his teammates loose, shares playful conversations with fans during games and loves to banter with opponents.

Before the Braves played the Brewers in Game 4 of the NLDS on Tuesday, utility man Orlando Arcia was asked to describe the mood in Atlanta’s clubhouse.

“I think the energy and the vibe in the clubhouse is really good right now, especially considering we have Heredia there, and he does a good job of keeping everyone engaged and energized, whether [it's] anyone in the dugout or the clubhouse,” Arcia said through an interpreter.

How does Heredia create the good vibes?

“Honestly, I think it's just constant laughter if you're anywhere near him in the dugout because you have no idea who he's talking to, but he's always talking to someone,” Arcia said. “He could be out there talking to a fan in the stands or could be talking to someone in the field; you have no idea. But he's always talking, and he always brings that energy. And so, honestly, I feel like I lost my voice from just being next to him during Game 2.”

Heredia began his career with the Mariners and then spent the past couple of seasons enjoying stints with the Rays, Pirates and Mets. The Braves claimed him off waivers from the Mets on Feb. 24 and made him a regular part of their lineup two months later, when Pache began to falter.

It didn’t take Heredia long to find comfort with his new club, which has benefited from his ability to positively influence the culture.

“The good thing about these guys is whatever they do, they do from the heart,” Washington said. “We are very fortunate to have a chance to work with these guys. The good thing about it is, anybody who comes from the outside, they fit right in. They see right away, who we are, what we are and what we’re about. He fit right in.”