San Diego Padres at Atlanta Braves

Jimmy Baseball has become a fan favorite in Atlanta. He’s long been loved by friends and family members in his native San Diego. But they may not have had as much fun watching him do his thing the past few days. Jim Jarvis, who gained the Jimmy Baseball nickname as a child, further endeared himself to Atlanta fans when he delivered a go-ahead double in the eighth inning of a 7-6 win over the Padres on Wednesday night at Truist Park. Jarvis and his two brothers have always enjoyed playing baseball, but they didn’t necessarily attend a lot of Padres games while growing up in the San Diego area. Still, was the significance of this game-winning hit enhanced by the fact it came against the hometown team? “I don't have any real feelings towards the Padres, so it doesn't evoke anything like crazy,” Jarvis said. “I think it's probably crazier for my friends and stuff back home watching it. Probably pissed at me, but who cares?” Jarvis has exceeded all expectations since the Braves acquired him from the Tigers in exchange for reliever Rafael Montero before last year’s Trade Deadline. Taken in the 11th round of the 2023 MLB Draft, the University of Alabama product has never been a highly rated prospect. Jarvis was a likeable defensive player who played a total of three games above Double-A before this year. But while hitting .308 (16-for-52) with an .826 OPS for Atlanta, he has led Braves fans to clamor for him to remain the primary shortstop even when Ha-Seong Kim ends his current Minor League rehab assignment on Aug. 1. “It feels like these days are just flying by,” Jarvis said. “I'm trying to enjoy it as much as I can. It's like you get to the field and it's just all a blur. Then, the game's over, you go home and do it again. But it's been really fun.”