What would a dream Braves starting lineup look like next season?

Having Travis d’Arnaud behind the dish and in the middle of the lineup is huge

Like many players on last year’s Braves, Travis d’Arnaud is coming off his best season. The former top prospect in the New York Mets organization made his first trip to the Mid-Summer Classic. He already won a Silver Slugger during the COVID season and continues to play his best baseball in an Atlanta uniform. D’Arnaud fits in perfectly behind the dish and in the middle of the batting order.

Although he could hit as hit as high as third, or as low as seventh, d’Arnaud batting after Albies makes the most sense. He can give the bottom half of the batting order some bite in the No. 6 hole, as well as do everything that he can behind the plate to get the most out of the pitching staff. The best thing he has going for him is he can serve as the designated hitter if he needs to.

With d’Arnaud absolutely thriving in his mid-30s, Braves fans should feel lucky he is on their team.

William Contreras’ bat is too potent to keep on the bench for lengthy stretches

Stacking Atlanta’s backstops seems like a bold move, but could be an effective one. With William Contreras being a good bit younger than d’Arnaud, he may be the Braves’ backstop of the future. Of course, he may need to change possessions like Dale Murphy did to get the most out of his talent. Contreras can man left field for the Braves, but he will bat seventh as the designated hitter.

Small sample sizes be damned, Contreras had a massive breakthrough year for the Braves. He helped give Atlanta the best catching tandem in baseball. Not bad for a guy who was not on the Opening Day roster. Truth be told, his great play last season helped solve a potential long-term issue in Atlanta. D’Arnaud might be getting up there a bit, but Contreras is just hitting his stride.

Left field is an issue for the Braves defensively, but they can the throw bats at just about anyone.