Ridiculous Jorge Soler stat proves Braves pulled trigger at the perfect time

The Atlanta Braves finally struck up a trade on Monday, acquiring two former Braves — Jorge Soler and Luke Jackson — from the San Francisco Giants. Soler was MVP of the 2021 World Series, cementing his name in Atlanta sports lore for eternity.

Alex Anthopoulos is looking for a repeat of history, adding Soler midseason to spark a wayward offense and hopefully get this Braves season on track. It's not the cleanest fit, as Soler operates primarily in the designated hitter slot these days, but he can hit the field when necessary. The Braves will hope Soler can hold down the fort in an everyday outfield slot while Michael Harris nurses injuries.

Once Harris returns, Soler is a sensible platoon option opposite the left-handed Eddie Rosario. There's a world in which Soler emerges as a third full-time outfielder next to Harris and Jarred Kelenic, but this has been a rocky individual campaign for hard-slugging righty. The Braves probably hope to use Soler in concentrated doses, benefitting from explosive offense without leaning too heavily on a below-average defender. Both Rosario and Adam Duvall are better with their gloves.

Soler could get the occasional DH start in Atlanta, but Marcell Ozuna has that spot locked up barring injury. He, too, cannot defend much. So, the Braves are counting on Soler to play a bit of defense. Anything approaching league-average competence would be enough to suit the Braves' needs. Soler's slugging is obvious the impetus for this deal.

Thankfully for Atlanta, Soler's bat is red-hot. So much so, that he has accumulated roughly 100 percent of his WAR — 0.8 on the season — over the last six games. That's right: Soler has 0.8 WAR over the last six games and 0.8 WAR for the season.

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Jorge Soler arrives on Braves roster with red-hot bat

Essentially, Soler was a replacement-level contributor all season until last week. Now, he's giving the Braves a live-wire power source that could be enough to jumpstart an anemic offense.

Since July 24, when Soler's WAR spike began, the 32-year-old is batting .550 with a 1.529 OPS. He has one home run, six RBIs, and has drawn eight walks over that span. He's 11-for-20 at the plate, with three doubles. All in all, one of the better six-game stretches you'll find from a hitter this season.

It's worth noting, of course, that Soler's production didn't come close to that level before his recent hot spell. He's due for a fall back to earth eventually, and the Braves cannot count on Soler to lead the NL in average or slugging the rest of the way.

All the same, momentum is a real thing in this sport, and Soler was a prime change of scenery candidate. He was on the All-Star squad with the Miami Marlins a season ago and he has played his best (and more important) baseball in a Braves uniform. He's comfortable in Atlanta and should get a chance to carve out a significant role, even with the defensive limitations.

For the season, Soler is batting .240 with a .749 OPS, which is still entirely respectable. He has 12 home runs in 341 ABs, well behind last season's pace (36), but still plenty to charge a Braves offense that has lagged behind expectations in that department.

Soler is a real difference-maker. The Braves are taking on his contract, which pays Soler $13 million in both 2025 and 2026. That is a risk, but Atlanta should be in the market for risks. The defense is an open-ended question, but Soler's bat tends to be more or less reliable.