Orlando Arcia

BIOGRAPHY

Orlando Jesus Arcia was born on August 4, 1994, in Anaco, Venezuela. He is a shortstop in the MLB.

The Milwaukee Brewers signed Arcia as an international free agent in October 2010. He made his professional debut in 2011 with the Dominican Summer League Brewers. After hitting .307/.347/.453 with eight home runs, Arcia was named the Brewers Minor League Player of the Year for 2015. The Brewers added him to their 40-man roster after the season. He also spent 2014 and 2015 playing for the Caribes de Anzoategui of the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League, a winter league held during the MLB's offseason.

He was recalled on July 26, 2018, and rebounded to finish the season hitting .236 with 3 homers and 30 RBI, including two walk-off singles. In game 3 of the NLDS against the Rockies, he homered off of Wade Davis to extend the Brewers' lead in their eventual series-clinching 6-0 victory. In Game 2 of the NLCS, he homers off of Hyun-jin Ryu to start the scoring, but the Brewers would lose that game to Los Angeles 4-3.

On April 6, 2021, the Brewers traded Arcia to the Atlanta Braves for Patrick Weigel and Chad Sobotka. On July 3, Arcia was recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett. In 2021 in the majors, between the two teams, he batted .198/.258/.309 with 2 home runs and 14 RBIs in 81 at bats. The Braves finished with an 88-73 record, clinching the NL East, and eventually won the 2021 World Series, giving the Braves their first title since 1995.

In spring training in 2023, Arcia competed against Vaughn Grissom and Braden Shewmake for the starting shortstop job. Though Grissom entered the spring as the favorite, Arcia won the position on the strength of his glove; Grissom and Shewmake were optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett on March 20. On Opening Day, Arica and the Braves agreed to a three-year contract extension worth $7.3 million. The contract also included a team option for the 2026 season for $2 million, or a $1 million buyout.