Last season, the Atlanta Braves captured baseball’s highest honor: a World Series championship. It was only the second time the Braves had clinched as an Atlanta team, and the first since 1995. The 2022 edition of the Braves will look a little different than it did during that title run. Still, the team hopes to defend its title and become the first team to repeat since the 2000 Yankees. With the regular season now underway, let’s take a look at the Atlanta Braves’ opening day starting lineup, and how each player rose to stardom.
Eddie Rosario – RF
Rosario grew up in Puerto Rico and played his high school baseball there as well. He was drafted in 2010 by the Twins, but made his debut five years later after a three-year stint in the minors. Rosario spent six years in Minnesota before being picked up by the Cleveland Indians as a free agent in 2021. Later that year, he was traded to the Braves, where he played a key role in their championship.
Matt Olson – 1B
Replacing Braves hero Freddie Freeman, who signed with the Dodgers, Olson played high school baseball in Georgia at Parkview, a perennial power in Gwinnett County. Olson set county records with 168 RBIs and 28 wins and even had his jersey retired. He was drafted by the Oakland Athletics in 2012 and returned home to Atlanta on March 14, 2022.
Austin Riley – 3B
Along with his baseball dominance, Riley starred as a high school football quarterback at DeSoto Central (MS). He even boomed a 77-yard punt, showcasing his cannon of a leg to match that of his arm. During the summer prior to his junior year, Riley had to choose strictly between baseball and football. Safe to say, he made the correct decision and was a lock for the Braves’ opening day starting lineup.
Marcell Ozuna – LF
The longtime Miami Marlin grew up in the Dominican Republic, where he blossomed under the guidance of his cousin, former MLB player Pablo Ozuna. Marcell made his MLB debut in 2013, but his season was cut short due to injury. After a stint with the Cardinals, Ozuna ended up in Atlanta, where he played part of the 2021 season with the Braves before serving a suspension for domestic violence.
Ozzie Albies – 2B
Another international standout, Albies was born on the small island of Curacao in the middle of the Caribbean Sea. Little is known about Albies’ upbringing, but once he had the opportunity to showcase his talents with the Braves, all eyes turned towards him. In 2021, Albies was named an All-Star and was awarded a Silver Slugger for his position. His 30 HRs and 108 RBIs both set career marks, solidifying him as an X-factor in the Braves’ title run.
Adam Duvall – CF
Duvall played high school baseball at Butler High School in Kentucky. His prep career was cut short by a cracked vertebra, which sidelined him for the entirety of his senior season. Duvall played college baseball and finally found MLB success once he was traded by the Giants to the Reds, where he was named an All-Star in 2016. He was shipped to Atlanta in 2018, earned a Gold Glove in 2021 and was re-signed for the 2022 season, a move endorsed by legions of local fans as he returned to Braves’ opening day starting lineup.
Travis d’Arnaud – C
d’Arnaud grew up in California and played for Lakewood High School, where he instantly became a standout catcher. He originally committed to Pepperdine to play with his older brother, but chose to void that commitment and enter the 2007 MLB Draft. D’Arnaud began his MLB career with a six-year stint for the Mets. He joined the Braves in 2019, and was named a Silver Slugger the next season.
Alex Dickerson – DH
As a senior at Poway (CA), Dickerson batted .455 and was named All-San Diego Division I Player of the Year. He played college baseball at Indiana and shined there as well. Dickerson played for the Padres and Giants before being signed as a free agent by the Braves prior to this season.
Dansby Swanson – SS
Another Georgia product, Swanson played at Marietta High School, where he was also a basketball star. Even though Swanson was drafted by the Rockies, he chose to honor his college commitment to the Vanderbilt Commodores, where he led the team with a .366 BA in 2014. Swanson got his first MLB start with the Braves in 2016 and has remained in Atlanta since.
Max Fried – P
Fried played the last two seasons of his high school baseball career at Harvard-Westlake (CA) as a part of the nation’s best rotation at the time. He posted a 2.02 ERA, which earned him a direct path to the MLB. Fried’s breakout season came in 2020 with the Braves, when he went 7-0 and finished 5th in NL Cy Young voting. He followed that up with a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger in 2021.
