Ryan Flaherty, Atlanta Braves

Flaherty attracted so much inexplicable attention in Baltimore for six years, you’d have thought he was a lost Kardashian sibling. Fans seemed to have surprisingly strong feelings one way or the other toward the utility infielder, declaring him either a star-in-waiting who would’ve broken out if he’d gotten more regular playing time, or a waste of a bench spot who had no business on a big league roster.

Even after he left the Orioles in free agency this winter, Flaherty still was the talk of the town. The Orioles, unexcited about their replacement utility infielder options this spring, kept a close eye on Flaherty’s status at Philadelphia Phillies camp, ready to pounce on him if he opted out of his deal. Flaherty did, in fact, opt out, but chose to sign with the Braves.

The early results have been fantastic. Flaherty is batting .364 with a .906 OPS in 13 games, tied for the second-best batting average in the NL. He’s been the Braves’ starter at third base for all but three games, filling in for the injured Johan Camargo. Flaherty even went 4-for-5 on March 31, out-hitting the entire Orioles’ team that day (they were three-hit by Minnesota).

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