It's Spring- and Profar Springs Another Surprise
The 2026 MLB season won't begin for another few weeks. Nonetheless, here's a solid prediction , not for this year, but for the 2027 preseason.
Here goes: In 2027 , Jurickson Profar will not shock the Atlanta Braves, nor amuse the baseball world.
You can take that one to the bank. ( where you might see Profar, working on budgeting with the $15 million he will still be owed for 2027)
He will not get paid for 2026, since he has once again tested positive for PED's ( for performance enhancing drugs.)
For the second consecutive year, Profar has been caught. This time, he must sit out the entire season. 162 games, and he again has no postseason eligibility.
Should he flunk another test, Profar will be banned for life. Certainly that won't happen, right? Well, who knows? It could happen. I suppose Profar knows. It's only happened one time prior, to Brewers pitcher JC Melia a few years back.
Profar has been fairly quiet over his most recent transgression- except to say he will appeal.
But his response to the last year's debacle was so laughably unhelpful that there's really no point in wrenching a current quote from him. Last year, the Curacao outfielder said his respect for the game would prevent him from ever knowingly or willingly using banned substances. Ever!
So about this time a year ago , we were left to wonder if he had been the victim of some sort of bizarre assault. Some bad person- possibly a Mets fan--must have tackled him, held him down and pushed the plunger. Right? Because he said not knowingly OR willingly.
Oh well. When he came back last July, there was an odd vibe to his reappearance in the lineup. It was different from a guy coming back from an injury, or being picked up as a free agent. He did go on to hit 14 home runs, lending credence ( if that's the right word) that his breakout season with the Padres in 2024 could have been legitimate, meaning " not enhanced".
2024 was also when he was an All- Star and signed that $42 million dollar contract with the Braves.
Profar's generally sunny personality helped him get back in the mix last year. Next time will be different, though baseball fans have been known to accept personal flaws– say for example, repetitive brazen dishonesty– if those flaws come with impressive on- field performance.
And, of course, there are always those who say that players should be free to enhance their performance as they wish. After all, many of us start our day with a cup of coffee, and feel a bit foggy if we miss it on a given morning.
But the MLB and the players union have hammered out these rules and guidelines, and they are well- publicized.
Given that fact, Profar has little to stand on. In fact, he has nothing to stand on.
Technically his appeal is pending. No one believes his charge will be reversed. So the Braves may have to grimace and bear it. Which is too bad. The acquisition of Profar prior to the 2025 season was the Braves most substantive attempt to build their team.
It didn't work. And it's still not working. Because the player they signed has a character flaw . Too bad you can't test for that.
None of us is perfect. We all make mistakes. But we've all been taught to try– hard- to avoid making the same mistake twice.
And the word " mistake" has the sense of an innocent wrong choice or act. Blatant cheating may not be a mistake in the minds of most.
Nonetheless, the great college football coach Bear Bryant had strong advice regarding the best way to handle a mistake.
Maybe Profar can benefit.
Bryant said, when you make a mistake," admit it, learn from it, and don't repeat it,"
On that count, Jurickson Profar is 0 for 3.
Patrick Conarro RamblinSports