Dubon is finding success despite the doubters.
The Atlanta Braves received an unfortunate update during the offseason when it was revealed that Ha-Seong Kim suffered an injury and would miss the first portion of the regular season. While Kim likely won't be out for longer than a month or two, attention immediately turned to the shortstop position. Kim was expected to be the everyday starting shortstop, so who would replace him to begin the 2026 regular season?
Mauricio Dubon emerged as the strongest candidate, but some wondered if Atlanta would try to bring in another player. Dubon had his share of doubters. While he's a quality utility player, there were some critics who questioned whether or not he was the best candidate to play shortstop on a consistent basis in Atlanta.
While Dubon will still need to prove himself in the regular season, he's impressed at spring training. In a 7-6 Braves' win over the New York Yankees on Friday, Dubon hit leadoff and went 1-3 with an RBI, a run scored and a walk.
Dubon is now hitting .320 to go along with a .393 OBP and .953 OPS during spring training. He has also hit a home run and recorded eight total hits, five RBI, four runs scored and one stolen base.
Will Mauricio Dubon Replicate His Success During the Regular Season?
Dubon, 31, has won two Gold Glove awards in his career. In 2025, Dubon won his second career Gold Glove with the Houston Astros. He played many different positions, though, spending time in both the outfield and infield. Dubon ultimately made 33 appearances and 24 starts at shortstop in 2025. Meanwhile, he played in a total of 133 games.
Going from playing the position at times to handling shortstop duties every day may prove to be a challenge. It has not been a problem for him so far during the spring, however.
As mentioned, Kim is expected to return within the first couple of months in the season. Once that happens, he will likely take over starting shortstop duties. Dubon will return to his versatile utility role.
For now, Dubon is preparing to play shortstop on a consistent basis, though. The pressure of focusing on such a challenging position has not negatively impacted his performance. Dubon has been one of the better Braves players at spring training.
Do you think Mauricio Dubon will perform well at shortstop to begin the 2026 regular season?