Latest Atlanta Braves addition excited to push Marcell Ozuna, outfielders

Atlanta Braves outfielder Kevin Pillar is excited to make a splash at spring training, which he mentioned on social media this week.

Kevin Pillar received a spring training invite from Atlanta, a team that could desperately use some outfield help. The Braves took several flyers on unproven players, but perhaps the biggest name of that bunch is Pillar.

The former Blue Jays and Giants outfielder is a veteran, and hasn’t found a stable home in the league since the COVID-shortened 2020 season. Still, at his best, Pillar can cover plenty of ground and has a good enough bat to stay in the lineup.

Other additions, like Sam Hilliard, Eli White and Jordan Luplow, can push the current Braves crop as well. It should be an all-out competition for some final roster spots this February and March.

Will Kevin Pillar make the Atlanta Braves Opening Day roster?

Kevin Pillar hasn’t looked the same since a fastball from Jacob Webb fractured his face. In 2021, he played in 124 games, batting .231 with 15 homers and 47 RBIs. Those numbers don’t encourage much confidence in his ability at the plate.

Still, he’s just a few years removed from the best offensive season of his MLB career. With the San Francisco Giants in 2019, Pillar had 21 homers, 88 RBI, 14 stolen bases and batted .259.

Pillar played in just four MLB games last year with the Dodgers due to injury, but prior to that he was raking in Triple-A, with a .315 batting average.

By no means do those numbers alone show that Pillar is the best of this bunch. However, he offers Atlanta some stability at left field, if not from an everyday perspective than at least part-time. Marcell Ozuna, who has faced his fair share of off-field issues, and Eddie Rosario are presumed the early favorites for that position. Pillar will have to unseat one of them.

Ozuna spent plenty of time at DH last season, but Travis d’Arnaud could take much of his playing time in that regard, as well as a rotating host of core players like Ronald Acuña.