Braves' RF candidates trying to make decision hard

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- A pair of Braves vying for an outfield spot in the Opening Day lineup both made an impact in Friday afternoon¡¯s 7-1 loss to the Twins at Lee Health Sports Complex.

Jarred Kelenic and Bryan De La Cruz have the opportunity to lock down solid playing time in right field before the injured Ronald Acu?a Jr. returns from knee surgery.

In February, manager Brian Snitker said Spring Training could determine who gets the nod out of the gate. The Braves could also platoon the duo ¨C Kelenic is a left-handed hitter and De La Cruz a righty ¨C based on the most advantageous matchup.

A few weeks into camp, both Kelenic and De La Cruz have had bright spots. The pop has been there for the left-hander, who joined the club prior to the 2024 season via a trade with the Mariners.

Kelenic led off the third inning with a bang, taking a 1-2 Bailey Ober fastball well into the right-field bleachers for a solo shot. The homer, Kelenic¡¯s second of the spring, traveled a Statcast-projected 386 feet and came off the bat with a scorching exit velocity of 110.6 mph.

"Just got a good pitch to hit," Kelenic said. "Was kind of surprised I [got it] in that count, but [I] just put a good swing on it."

Said Snitker, ¡°It was good for him just to DH and stay off his legs out in the outfield. Those were good at-bats.¡±

The 25-year-old Kelenic, who showed promising play through stretches of last season, is hitting .235 (4-for-17) this spring with an OPS of 1.081. Over 131 games in 2024, Kelenic batted .231 with 15 homers and posted a .679 OPS.

Kelenic, a first-round Draft pick of the Mets in 2018 (sixth overall), said that he feels good about his swing in camp and that he¡¯s working on improving his pitch selection. Last year, he was elite when it came to launch angle sweet spot percentage (38%), landing him in the 84th percentile of MLB, according to Baseball Savant.

"Just trying to stay consistent," Kelenic said of his approach. "Trying to [go after] pitches in the heart of the plate, and trying to get my swing off."

Kelenic¡¯s surroundings are now more familiar as he arrived at camp last season for the first time with the Braves. With a season under his belt, he knows the majority of the faces and names around him.

"I just think it's a comfortability thing," Kelenic said. "We had such a great group from top to bottom. Now, seeing a lot more familiar faces because I've been down in the trenches with them the last year. Got to build relationships and grow, and now it's just going after it again."

Last year didn¡¯t show Kelenic¡¯s ceiling as a player, as the Braves brought in Adam Duvall toward the end of Spring Training. This offseason, they added Jurickson Profar to join Acu?a and center fielder Michael Harris II in the outfield.

When it comes to his potential role this year, Kelenic is just focused on working on his game and being part of a winning organization.

"Understanding what you can and can't control is a big thing," Kelenic said. "I know at the end of the day, the organization wants to win. They're going to give us every opportunity to help win the game and compete for the World Series; that's the most important thing. I'm putting one foot in front of the other."

When asked if playing time will come down to matchups, Snitker said, ¡°Probably.¡±

¡°Hopefully we can get a lot out of both of them while we¡¯re waiting for [Acu?a],¡± Snitker said.

Kelenic said he isn't concerned with what handedness his opposition is; he just needs repetition to fine-tune his game. He batted .206 with one homer and a .515 OPS in 72 plate appearances against lefties last year.

"You just need reps," Kelenic said. "Last year, we had depth throughout the lineup. Just need more reps, that's all it is. I've shown that I can hit left-handed pitching, and I think the more consistently I'm getting ABs, the easier it is to face pitching every single day. I don't really worry about left-handed or right-handed pitching."

De La Cruz went 1-for-3 Friday afternoon and is now batting .353 (6-for-17) this spring.

The 28-year-old De La Cruz, who signed to a one-year deal in December, has been a doubles machine, with 25-plus each of the past two seasons, including a career-high 32 in 2023. De La Cruz has shown he can hit the long ball as well, with 21 last season and 19 in ¡®23.

¡°I like De La Cruz. I don¡¯t really need to see a lot,¡± Snitker said when asked about the Dominican Republic native. ¡°I know he was dangerous when he was with the Marlins. A really good player.¡±