Mauricio Dubon has performed well for the Atlanta Braves, contributing significantly as a utility player. His future with the team remains uncertain, with potential contract discussions for 2027 on the horizon.
Key points
Mauricio Dubon has a 1.0 fWAR in 165 PAs this season.
He has filled multiple positions for the Braves due to injuries.
Dubon has altered his batting stance and approach this season.
The Braves may offer him around $15 million for next year.
His future with the team depends on performance and roster decisions.
Mauricio DubónAtlanta BravesChicago CubsSan Francisco
ATLANTA, GA - MAY 13: Mauricio Dubón #14 of the Atlanta Braves celebrates after hitting a two-run home run in the eighth inning during the game against the Chicago Cubs at Truist Park on May 13, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Matthew Grimes Jr./Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
ATLANTA, GA - MAY 13: Mauricio Dubón #14 of the Atlanta Braves celebrates after hitting a two-run home run in the eighth inning during the game against the Chicago Cubs at Truist Park on May 13, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Matthew Grimes Jr./Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Iām not going to argue one way or another, Iām just throwing the question out there.
The Braves got Mauricio Dubon in a salary dump. The Honduran utility man had a standout defensive year in 2025, accumulating 2.2 fWAR in just under 400 PAs, but that wasnāt enough for the Astros to be interested in retaining him for about $6 million in salary. Heād put up about 1 fWAR in 400 PAs the year before, and about 2 fWAR in 500 PAs in 2023. As he had never hit all that well, it was a defense-and-hope-the-bat-wonāt-kill you profile.
Fast forward to, well, now, and Dubon has 1.0 fWAR in 165 PAs. Heās not playing defense at the same breakneck pace as last year, but itās still good. His 108 wRC+ is a product of substantially outhitting his xwOBA (.328 wOBA, .309 xwOBA), but the xwOBA is his highest in a season since 2020, and decent in and of itself.
The Braves have benefited hugely from his versatility, as he served as the de facto starter at shortstop to help weather Ha-Seong Kimās injury, only to shift around to the outfield to cover concerns with Michael Harris IIās quad and the seemingly-inevitable Ronald AcuƱaĀ Jr. lower body injury. More to the point, unlike many āutility guysā (hi, , my longest-tenured enemy), Dubon has already accrued at least a run above average per Statcastās measures at both shortstop and left field, and hasnāt been negative anywhere.
The bat continues to be a work in progress, but it really does feel like the emphasis is on the āprogressā part of that idiom, after a fairly stagnant time in and . He has definitely oriented his approach to try and hit the ball harder, with the biggest change being more selective in terms of the strikes he offers at. It hasnāt been a profound shift as he still isnāt exactly clobbering the ball (.335 xwOBACON is well above his league-worst-ish marks the last two years, but still well below league average), but heās done a good job shifting the boons available to him from his hand-eye coordination from āwill make sure I make contact with everythingā to āwill make sure I hit everything at a productive angle, even if I donāt hit it all that hard.ā
There have also been some interesting changes for him beyond that, as heās completely remade his stance. Heās now standing further back in the box but also falling over the plate, which is letting him essentially fight the ball off to center and right, especially when heās pitched outside. But, his stance is also much more open than before, which might help him turn on inside pitches (like he did last night), though Iām honestly not sure the exact mechanics of how an open stance helps when heās geared a lot of his approach towards poking liners over the infield.
In any case, Dubon has been a huge part of the Braves being where they are right now ā heās filled multiple holes as theyāve arisen and come through quite a lot (11 games with 0.06 WPA or more), despite nothing particularly special in his overall WPA (itās negative for the season) or clutch score (a very generic 0.20). (He also has 11 games with -0.06 WPA or worse. Heās been in the thick of it all year, but heās come through as often as he hasnāt, basically.) Alex Anthopoulos has already made public statements about how depth has been huge this year while previously being a thing he ignored as somewhat of a counter-current to his former colleagues with the Dodgers/in the Andrew Friedman management tree.
So, will the Braves extend him? Or, will they let him hit free agency and re-sign him? An injury or performance decline could upend all of this, of course. But, the rest of the roster likely isnāt getting any younger or less injury prone, which means Dubon will have a clear role going forward should the Braves choose to retain him. His offensive track record suggests he wonāt be in for a huge payday, but if he continues to polish himself at the plate, that might change.
Right now, I could see the Braves offering him about $15 million to hang around for next year. Dubon might try to angle for a bit more, but his camp might be better served and waiting to see how much of his current 4 fWAR-per-season pace he can sustain. The more he is able to, the larger a chance of a two-year-ish deal at league-average-regular ($20 million annually or so) that gets him to his mid-30s. But, if he really wants to stay and the keep the vibes near-immaculate, then yeah, I can see him signing something short to cover 2027.
What do you think?
Q&A
What is Mauricio Dubon's current performance with the Atlanta Braves?
Mauricio Dubon has a 1.0 fWAR in 165 PAs this season and has shown versatility by filling multiple positions effectively.
Will the Atlanta Braves extend Mauricio Dubon for the 2027 season?
The Braves may offer Dubon around $15 million for next year, but his future depends on his performance and the team's roster decisions.
How has Mauricio Dubon's batting approach changed this season?
Dubon has altered his stance to be more open and selective, aiming to hit the ball at a productive angle rather than just making contact.
What factors could influence Mauricio Dubon's contract negotiations?
Injury, performance decline, and the Braves' roster dynamics will significantly impact Dubon's contract negotiations and potential offers.
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