The Neverending Riddle of Johan Camargo
Major League Baseball history is littered with players who were dealt a raw deal. The number of players who fall into this category is beyond counting at this point. The majority of these players are very talented. With one different bounce of the ball, these players could have made something of their time in the big leagues. Alas, that bounce never came and they found themselves out of MLB before they ever had a shot to truly prove they could hang with the best in the world. Then there is Johan Camargo who finds himself with another chance to prove that he deserves to be an everyday starter with Atlanta’s National League ballclub.
The ball did once bounce Camargo’s way. In 2018, the Panamanian put together a most respectable season. As Atlanta’s everyday third baseman he slashed .272/.349/.457 in 524 plate appearances. Camargo hit 19 bombs and produced a well-above-average 116 DRC+. His WARP was a very average 1.6, but that’s what happens when you’re not good on the basepaths and truly abysmal at fielding your position (-11.5 FRAA, primarily at third base). Still, Camargo had put together a season that made it seem like he was part of a young core that Atlanta could build around.
Then 2019 hit Camargo like bricks in a pillowcase.
Atlanta signed Josh Donaldson to a free agent contract and the 25-year-old found himself riding the pine most of the year. His versatility allowed him to get playing time, but he was limited to only 248 plate appearances. He had already shown versatility in his career, but in 2019 Atlanta lined him up at third base, shortstop, left field, right field, second base, first base, and even as a designated hitter. Versatility is great, but you have to actually be good at all the positions you’re playing and Camargo really was only good as a second baseman.
The main issue for Camargo was that he had gone from a promising member of Atlanta’s core to someone blocked by his core mates. When Donaldson shoved him off of third base, Camargo found himself unable to maximize his playing time because Atlanta had Dansby Swanson at shortstop and Ozzie Albies at second base.
That’s why Brian Snitker was willing to try the experiment of Camargo in the outfield, he had nowhere else to play him. That didn’t pan out and Camargo didn’t adjust to utility play as his numbers dipped to .233/.279/.384 with 7 home runs, a DRC+ of 80, and a 0.3 WARP.
2020 was an odd season, especially as Camargo found himself blocked yet again by Swanson and Albies but now also by Austin Riley at third. When Josh Donaldson left it was supposed to be Camargo’s chance to get his full-time third base job back. Instead, Camargo was relegated to the bench again and he did not respond well.
Camargo hit .200/.244/.367 in 127 plate appearances. His DRC+ was once again 80, but his WARP dropped to 0.1, while only hitting 4 home runs. The lone bright spot for Camargo was that he continued to improve defensively at second base. He was in the 81st percentile in Outs Above Average, but only in 21 games. Still, in a season where he floundered, he could at least hang his hat on his improving defense.
As 2021 nears Atlanta finds itself with no real idea of what to do with Camargo. His 2018 season showed that he has the ability to play at the big league level. Unfortunately, 2020 showed that his best chance of doing that regularly is to play second base. Ozzie Albies is entrenched at second for Atlanta, that’s a dead-end for any “get Camargo on the field” talk. Barring any new signing (Mel Rojas Jr. says hi) the release of Adam Duvall has positioned Camargo to be Atlanta’s starting left fielder in 2021.(Editor’s note: Ha) That’s a dangerous thought, but really, the tandem of Camargo and Riley is a fielding nightmare no matter which one is at third or left.
The question becomes; is Johan Camargo good enough to be an everyday player with the 2021 Atlanta National League ballclub?
Not in left field, he’s not, that much is certain. There’s really nowhere for Camargo to excel in Atlanta, though he likely could be a major league caliber starting second baseman for some other team.
Atlanta is a young, talented team, one that features OTBB’s new favorite player Huascar Ynoa. Camargo once seemed to be a key cog in their mix, but it’s become clear that for his good and the good of the team he needs to be moved somewhere he can play second base every day as opposed to putting up numbers that are too weak for a corner outfielder.
Johan Camargo is a good player, or at least he has the potential to be one. It’s just not going to be with Atlanta and it’s about time Atlanta realizes that fact and moves on. The ball could bounce Camargo’s way again, he merely needs the ball to be from somewhere that isn’t Atlanta or the outfield. If he does spend all of 2021 with Atlanta, expect to see even more regression from Camargo and more Atlanta fans wondering what happened to their once-promising young talent.
