Braves’ Mike Yastrzemski hopes his experience can be a valuable asset

“Probably just experience over everything,” Yastrzemski said about one of his strengths. “As a guy who was never top prospect, highly touted, I had to kind of fight my way through some scenarios and situations and I’ve watched a lot of really good players. I’m not afraid to ask those guys questions and try and learn from ‘em. I’ve learned from a lot of greats,” Yastrzemski said.

“Playing with Buster (Posey) was awesome. Playing with Craw (Brandon Crawford) was great, playing with Longo (Evan Longoria), playing with Chappy (Matt Chapman), these are guys that have been perennial All-Stars, potential Hall of Famers. I guess my grandfather kind of plays into that, too. I’ve gotten to grow up with him and his knowledge of hitting, scouting, how to deal with slumps, how to deal with position changes, all sorts of different things.

“The way that I’ve learned the game and been around the game so long, it’s something that I like to lean on and help guys out.”

Now, Yastrzemski is a pretty good ballplayer, too.

In six-plus seasons with the Giants, Yastrzemski never had his WAR dip below 2. He has driven in at least 39 runs in each of his seven big league seasons and has never failed to smack at least 10 homers.

Will Yastrzemski be an All-Star for the Braves? That’s not likely. But his ability to platoon in left field with Jurickson Profar, give Ronald Acuña Jr. a day off in right or fill in as designated hitter gives the Braves greater flexibility in their day-to-day lineup.

“As far as I know right now, I’ll be getting a majority of left field looks against righties. And, hopefully, as a competitor, can play my way into some more lefty games,” Yastrzemski said. “Obviously the goal is to be on the field at all times and help the team win. Winning is the most important thing, so as long as the best lineup is out there for every given day, I think everyone in the clubhouse is gonna be really happy.

“If there’s a day where we can get me and Profar out in the outfield, get (Acuña) a few days off his feet, keep him healthy, keep him fresh — obviously he may not want that, but in the long run, having a few days where you’re off your feet still impacting the game I think is important.”

Yastrzemski spent his youth in Massachusetts, where his grandfather, Carl Yastrzemski, played nearly a quarter of a century with the Red Sox while putting together a Hall of Fame career. Carl Yastrzemski’s son, Carl Yastrzemski Jr., actually was drafted by the Braves in 1984, but never made it above Triple-A.

Mike Yastrzemski, meanwhile, was drafted thrice: in 2009 (Red Sox) while attending St. John’s Prep in Massachusetts, and then again in 2012 (Mariners) and 2013 (Orioles) as a standout at Vanderbilt. He made his MLB debut in 2019 with the Giants, a team he remained with until being dealt to the Royals for the final two months of the 2025 season.

Now he has a fresh start with a team that needs him not only to impart his baseball wisdom, but to perform at a consistently productive level each time he’s in the lineup. And Yastrzemski, in turn, expects his new team to come out and compete from the get-go.

“I think we’ve got a strong group of guys here that have a lot of focus, a lot of determination,” he said. “And I think there’s a lot of guys with a chip on their shoulder in there right now, and I think that that’s gonna come out — and it’s gonna be fun to watch.”