Inciarte upbeat: ‘There’s a lot of good vibes’ for Braves

The 2018 Braves, at least on paper, are the best team center fielder Ender Inciarte has been on since arriving in December 2015.

Winning would be a welcomed change. Inciarte, 27, had a career-best year in 2017 but his team finished with a fourth straight losing season. Yet the atmosphere, Inciarte says, is still upbeat.

“There’s a lot of good vibes,” he said. “We all get along with each other, pull for each other. We’re trying to win the most games that we can. Hopefully it’s going to be a fun season.”

Today Inciarte will begin a quest for a second straight 200-hit season. The Gold Glove winner had 201 in 157 games last year, slashing .304/.350/.409.

This season is supposed to be a bridge year to contention if things go accordingly, especially with the team’s upcoming talent such as outfielder Ronald Acuna and starter Mike Soroka. The inevitability of their arrival is one reason for Inciarte’s proclaimed positivity.

“They have a lot of energy,” Inciarte said. “They’re very happy to be around the clubhouse. It was fun watching them play. They have a lot of talent and hopefully will show it here too.”

Among the young players exciting Inciarte is Ozzie Albies. First baseman Freddie Freeman and others in the organization have pinpointed the Inciarte-Albies duo atop the lineup as one of the team’s biggest strengths. But Inciarte isn’t enthused by potential. “I don’t want to talk about how good we can be,” he said. “We have to show it on the field.”

Inciarte and Albies serving as terrors on the basepaths is particularly important. The team is lacking power in an era plush with it. They’re going to have to win playing small ball, something Inciarte believes is reasonable.

“The main thing for us is to be on the bases,” he said. “We might not see a lot of home runs but we have a lot of people who can put the ball in the gap.”