The Braves still don’t have a clean answer at shortstop, and Jim Jarvis’ rough weekend in Baltimore did nothing to change that.
Atlanta has been searching for stability at the position ever since Dansby Swanson left in free agency, and the list of candidates has already been long. Jarvis looked like the latest name to grab hold of the job after a strong three-week stretch in July, but that momentum hit a wall against the Orioles.
The weekend was a mess for Jarvis. He had multiple defensive mistakes, and he didn’t do much to help at the plate either.
His 0-for-5 showing on Sunday pushed his season wRC+ down to 96. That’s not disastrous for a shortstop, especially compared with what Atlanta has been getting, but the underlying numbers suggest the production may not hold.
Before Sunday, Jarvis carried a .318 wOBA and a .410 slugging percentage. His expected numbers told a different story, though: a .279 xwOBA and a .344 xSLG. He’s also walking at near Michael Harris II levels, but unlike Money Mike, Jarvis doesn’t bring the same power or defensive impact to balance that out.
For now, Jarvis has done enough to stay in the mix. But when Ha-Seong Kim returns from injury, the Braves are likely to go back to the veteran.
Kim’s own struggles this season mean that opportunity won’t be guaranteed for long if he doesn’t straighten things out. August could easily turn into a head-to-head battle between Jarvis and Kim for the job when the games matter most.
There’s also the possibility of Dubòn getting the nod at shortstop, though that would limit his ability to move around the outfield. And with Ronald Acuña Jr. needing to be kept healthy through October, that’s not a small tradeoff.
Maybe Alex Anthopoulos pulls off a surprise and lands someone like Jeremy Peña. Short of that, the Braves are headed for more shuffling at shortstop the rest of the way. Jarvis didn’t lose the job in Baltimore, but he didn’t lock it down either.
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