The 2025 NFL season comes down to this…

Week 18 is upon us, which means that we have reached the dramatic conclusion to the 2025 NFL regular season, which ironically is set for the 1st week of January 2026. Number one seeds in the NFC and AFC are still up for grabs, as well as division titles in the NFC South, AFC North, and AFC South, not to mention playoff seeding results.

Gone are the usual Thursday Night and Monday Night Football Games for this week, which have instead been replaced by two Saturday games with massive importance. The Sunday slate is also staggered in that it features seven games with start times of 4:25 PM ET as opposed to the typical two of said games, meaning that playoff-bound teams likely won’t know the results of playoff seeding until after the games are over.

Without further ado, let’s discuss the stakes involved with each of the major games on the docket to determine all of the potential scenarios that may occur in Week 18.

Carolina Panthers (8-8) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-9) – Saturday, 4:30 PM ET

Believe it or not, the Panthers could lose this game against the Buccaneers and still emerge as champions of the NFC South if the Falcons were to also defeat the Saints. Such a scenario would create a three-way tie atop the division between the Panthers, Bucs, & Falcons with the Panthers holding the tiebreakers by way of division record. But… neither the Panthers nor the Bucs will know the results of the Falcons contest until late Sunday afternoon, therefore, this game will be treated as win-or-go-home.

This means that the pressure is on the Buccaneers to defend their NFC South crown. Head coach Todd Bowles admitted as much in saying that, “we’ve got to be better at the quarterback position… we’ve got to be better [at blocking for the quarterback]… There’s mistakes and things we’ve got to clean up. We’ve got to coach a lot better…” After a 6-2 start to the season, the Bucs have crawled to the finish line, and yet they still have a chance to clinch their fifth-straight NFC South title with a win and help.

Seattle Seahawks (13-3) at San Francisco 49ers (12-4) – Saturday, 8:00 PM ET

This game is for all the marbles, as the winner of this matchup secures not only the NFC West division title, but the No. 1 seed in the NFC as well, which includes a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs before Super Bowl LX. Meanwhile, the loser of this contest likely drops to the No. 5 seed, meaning that they would play a road game versus the winner of the NFC South in the Divisional Round.

The 49ers have battled injuries all season long, and it seems very unlikely for that to change in Week 18 as the status of starters RB Christian McCaffrey (back), OT Trent Williams (hamstring), & TE George Kittle (ankle) bear monitoring before the game. For the Seahawks, their issues of late have involved dealing with their propensity for turnovers, as their offense has turned the ball over five times in the last two games. Which battle-tested NFC West squad emerges victorious in this heavyweight fight?

Tennessee Titans (3-13) at Jacksonville Jaguars (12-4) – Sunday, 1:00 PM ET

Two divisional rivals trending in polar opposite directions are set to play each other on Sunday, with the Jaguars playoff seeding residing heavily on this game’s outcome. Jacksonville desperately needs the win here to secure their first AFC South division title since 2022, while Tennessee would prefer a loss to secure better draft position.

For the Jaguars, a win would also mean an outside chance at securing the No. 1 seed in the AFC, although they would need both the Broncos and the Patriots to lose their matchups against the Chargers and Dolphins in order to obtain that coveted reward. A loss to the Titans though would open up a path for the Texans to steal the division. It would also open up all sorts of wacky, amusing playoff scenarios for Jacksonville.

Los Angeles Chargers (11-5) at Denver Broncos (13-3) – Sunday, 4:25 PM ET

Opportunity awaits the Broncos, who simply need a home win over the Chargers to secure the No. 1 seed in the AFC after securing the AFC West division title last week. Such a scenario has been made all the more plausible with Jim Harbaugh’s decision to bench Justin Herbert this week in favor of allowing him time to heal his injuries.

However, the outcome of this game bears monitoring, as a Broncos loss would open up the door for either the Patriots or the Jaguars to steal the coveted AFC No. 1 seed.

Baltimore Ravens (8-8) at Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7) – Sunday, 8:20 PM ET

The schedulemakers saved their best for last, as this primetime matchup features two divisional rivals in a win-or-go-home game to decide the fate of the AFC North. Neither of these teams were motivated to win the division before the conclusion of the regular season, so now one of them must win in order to keep their season alive.

What better way for fans to watch the decisive conclusion to the 2025 regular season than by pitting two teams that hate each other in a desperate struggle for greatness?

Braves offseason signings give the team much-needed flexibility

The Braves understand the above concept all too well after disastrous 2024 and 2025 seasons, so this offseason the team is proactively adding players who could fill multiple roles during the 2026 season.

If the Braves have learned anything as an organization after watching the team play over the past couple seasons, it’s to expect the unexpected – both in terms of player injuries (of which there have been many) and underperformance of starting players.

That’s why this sportswriter feels that the Braves approach to the offseason will pay off in 2026, as the team’s focus is on finding players who could fill a variety of roles. Let’s take a look at some offseason signings to date below, and identify a few roles that the players may or may not play for the team during the 2026 season & beyond.

Mauricio Dubón

Mauricio Dubón will have a very important role for the Braves in 2026, even if we don’t necessarily know what his role might look like at the beginning of the season. New Braves manager Walt Weiss said of Dubón that, “he protects us in a variety of ways because he can play all over the field. It’s plus defense everywhere he goes…”

Dubón has played at every position except pitcher & catcher, and he’s won two Gold Glove awards, including last season as a utility player while with the Houston Astros. Injuries are bound to happen during the season, so trading away Nick Allen (a Gold Glove-caliber SS who can’t hit) in exchange for Dubón’s services was a brilliant move to supplement the defensive depth of the ballclub & allow for more roster flexibility.

Mike Yastrzemski

“Yaz” signed a two-year, $23M contract with the Braves, and expectations are that he will have a fluid role with the team as he, “will primarily play against right-handed pitchers, and his primary roles will be to serve as either the designated hitter or the left fielder. He can play each of the outfield spots. But a majority of his key defensive starts will come in left because he’s a better defensive option than Jurickson Profar.”

Were Profar to be suspended again or should he get injured at any point during the season, then Yaztrzemski would take over as the team’s primary starter in left field. A fully healthy season from Ronald Acuña Jr. isn’t guaranteed either, so it’s possible that Yaz may see some additional opportunities in right field during the year as well. That versatility (plus his contract) bode well for Yaz’s chances of getting on the field.

Robert Suarez

Robert Suarez was one of the most coveted free agents on the market before signing a 3-year, $45M deal with the Braves after he posted 40 saves with the Padres in 2025. Suarez will have an important role for the team as the primary setup man for closer Raisel Igleisas; however, he’s likely to get additional opportunities to earn saves for the team on nights that Iglesias is unavailable out of the bullpen during the season.

That’s the plan for Suarez’ role to start the year at least; but would it surprise any of us if he overtook Iglesias as the team’s closer at some point during the 2026 season? After all, he’s younger (34) than Iglesias (35), he earned more saves (40) than Iglesias (29) did last year, and he posted a better ERA (2.97) than his counterpart (3.21) did.

His contract is indicative of the team’s plans for him to have a key role with the team beyond 2026 as well, as he’ll make $13M, $16M, and $16M over the next three years. It’s very well possible that the team allows Iglesias to walk next offseason knowing that Suarez could take over the primary closer role for the team in 2027 and beyond.

Atlanta Braves hiring of Walt Weiss as manager signals a desire to maintain the status quo

The Atlanta Braves hire of Walt Weiss to replace Brian Snitker as the next manager of the ballclub can best be described using just one word, and that word is – boring! He was the easy choice amongst the available managerial candidates as an in-house replacement for Brian Snitker; however, the easy choice isn’t always the right choice.

In this instance, the team clearly would’ve benefitted from a new voice in leadership as Snitker’s messaging to the team had soured after a disappointing last two seasons. What’s done is done though, and so at this point we’re left to ask several deep-rooted questions as we seek to understand the reason behind the underwhelming decision.

Who is Walt Weiss, and what does maintaining the status quo mean for the Braves? Why did the Braves decide against rocking the boat in favor of taking the safe pick? The answers to these questions & more awaits as the premise of this article unfolds.

Who is Walt Weiss?

Weiss has been with the organization since 2018 when he became the bench coach on Brian Snitker’s staff, replacing longtime bench coach Terry Pendleton in the role. In baseball, the position of bench coach is a well-respected one as it basically means second-in-command behind the manager, the manager’s right hand man if you will.

The 61-year-old receives his second opportunity as the manager of an MLB ballclub after leading the Colorado Rockies to a 283-365 record as skipper from 2013 to 2016. Before becoming a manager, he had a solid career as an MLB player, spending parts of 14 seasons playing for four different organizations (A’s, Marlins, Rockies, Braves).

All in all, Weiss has 32 years of experience in the game of baseball as either a player, front office advisor, or coach, and he has spent a large portion of his baseball career as a member of the Atlanta Braves organization in serving as both coach and player. Twelve-plus years in an Atlanta Braves uniform is surely nothing to shake a stick at.

What is the status quo?

You may have heard of The Braves Way, characterized by player development and an emphasis on starting pitching, but it’s more than just an old slogan for the franchise. This philosophy extends not only to the manner in which business is conducted, i.e. hiring & promoting from within the agency, but to organizational standards as well.

For example, during the press conference to introduce Walt Weiss as their manager, Atlanta Braves president of baseball operations/general manager Alex Anthopoulos commented that, “we [the Braves] expect to be in the playoffs year in and year out.” This is the standard that the franchise has set, one which is a problem for the fans.

On a surface level, yes, every Major League Baseball franchise should expect to be in the playoffs year in and year out; however, should that be their only expectation? Have we all forgotten about the common goal shared by each and every team in the game of baseball – to be in contention for, and to ultimately win, the World Series?

Why is the standard so low?

You see, making the playoffs these days isn’t as impressive of a feat as it was twenty, thirty years ago when there was no Divisional Round, much less a Wild Card round. Hell, the Braves were in the playoffs in 2024 despite dealing with a myriad of injuries and underperformance which led to them never having a chance against the Padres.

But making the playoffs has become the status quo for the Braves, a standard which is not expected to change under the leadership of new ballclub manager Walt Weiss. Time will tell whether or not the Braves made the right decision, but at said time it might be worth revisiting whether or not they could have gone from good to great.

Four Braves players who should NOT factor into the team’s plans for next season

It’s no secret that the Braves have been downright unwatchable at times this season. Team-wide underperformance, injuries to key players, and having a manager on the verge of retirement have clearly made this team unwatchable during a long season.

That said, the team has some big decisions to make this offseason as they attempt to rebuild their roster and reclaim their status as contenders atop the National League. Identifying the players on the roster that the team doesn’t intend to bring back next season is an important facet in this process, as their roster features several players who are already signed to lucrative long-term contracts for next season and beyond, effectively making those players immovable in terms of roster construction for 2026.

Without further ado, let’s take a look into some guys on the 2025 Braves roster who should under no such circumstances feature themselves on the 2026 Braves roster.

Marcell Ozuna

It’s time for the Braves to move on from Marcell Ozuna after six seasons in Atlanta. His tenure with the team can best be described as a rollercoaster, with its thrilling highs and frightening lows making for quite the memorable ride as the exit nears. The 34-year-old designated hitter will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason.

Ozuna has previously shown us that he can’t play the outfield anymore, and with a .228/.357/.402 batting line in 2025, his time as a designated hitter may be at an end. That leaves him without a clear position to play for the Braves, and with the roster already featuring two catchers who can hit (in theory anyway), the odds certainly appear stacked against his return in 2026 in favor of one of the two catchers at DH.

Jarred Kelenic

Kelenic appears to have worn out his welcome after two awful seasons in Atlanta. His offensive statistics with the Braves leave much to be desired, as he’s currently sporting a batting line of .222/.279/.381 in 155 career games played with the team.

The Braves optioned him to AAA on April 28th in favor of Eddie Rosario, and he hasn’t played with the major league ballclub since then despite the many injuries and rampant underperformance that the team’s outfielders have faced this year. This benching was given despite the fact that the team had high expectations for Kelenic after acquiring his services from the Mariners in a 2024 offseason trade, expectations of which ultimately went unfulfilled due to his underperformance.

Still just 26 years old, it’s possible that Kelenic figures things out and resurrects his career in a different uniform, but the Braves organization has given him more than enough opportunities to prove his value to the team heading into the 2026 season.

Nick Allen

Allen is a polarizing player in the world of baseball, as his Statcast profile illustrates. He’s ranked in the 99th percentile for fielding Range grade amongst MLB shortstops, a ranking which credits him with 17 Outs Above Average at the position, which puts him at No. 5 on the OAA leaderboard among MLB players in defensive performance. On the flip side, he’s in the bottom 1st percentile for Batting Run Value amongst all MLB players, carrying a batting slash line of .213/.264/.249 in 128 games this season.

When Ha-Seong Kim was signed by the Braves last week and subsequently placed into the team’s starting lineup, it may have signaled the end of Allen’s tenure here. Kim was given the opportunity to be the everyday SS for the remainder of the 2025 season, and his contract with the team ($16M player option for 2026) indicates that he’ll likely be the starter for next year as well despite Allen’s presence on the roster.

As an arbitration-eligible player this offseason, it’s certainly possible that Allen re-signs with the team and remains on the roster in a backup role behind Kim in 2026. It’s perhaps just as possible though that the team simply elects to non-tender him.

Bryce Elder

Believe it or not, Bryce Elder actually leads the Braves in games started this season. The problem is that his 24 starts haven’t gone all that well though, with him posting a 6-9 record, a 5.54 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, and 105 strikeouts in 131 2/3 innings this year.

Elder is under contract for next season, but the Braves have to be hoping (praying) that he spends all or most of next season in Gwinnett if the team aims to compete.

Honorable mention: Tyler Kinley

Kinley has a $5M club option in his contract for next season after the team acquired the veteran reliever’s services from the Colorado Rockies way back on July 30, 2025.

With a 4-0 record, a 0.61 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, and 15 strikeouts in 14 2/3 innings since joining the team, it’s not as if Kinley has done anything to run the risk of his option not being picked up; however, it’s understood that MLB teams are rightfully weary of 34-year-old relievers who are set to make $5M under a new coaching staff next year.

Has the team gotten enough of a look at Kinley in 2025 to make such a big decision?

Four Braves players who SHOULD factor into the team’s plans for next season

It’s no secret that the Braves have been downright unwatchable at times this season. Team-wide underperformance, injuries to key players, and having a manager on the verge of retirement have clearly made this team unwatchable during a long season.

That said, the team has some big decisions to make this offseason, and a few players have stepped into the spotlight and have made a case to be on the 2026 Braves roster. You won’t see the Ronald Acuna Jr’s, Austin Riley’s, or Matt Olsons of the world here. Those guys are pretty much guaranteed their roster spot given the lengthy contracts. Instead, you will see a list of guys that the team could realistically go either way on, be that by their tenuous status on the roster, the money that they’re set to make, etc.

Jurickson Profar

Profar’s tenure with the Braves got off to a rocky start when he was suspended for PED-use two games into the season after signing a 3-year, $42M deal this offseason. Since his return on July 2nd though, he has produced with a .262/.367/.480 slash line. His defense hasn’t always been pretty, but he’s made a few highlight reel plays too.

Left field is one of the positions where MLB teams tend to live with some defensive miscues out of the outfielders in order to feature an impact bat in the team’s lineup. Profar has certainly profiled as an impact bat for the team so far, as his ability to hit for contact and average at the leadoff spot has given the team an offensive identity.

Overall, the Braves have to be thrilled that they are finally getting this type of solid offensive production out of the left field position given that it has been a black hole in the lineup in recent years, including this year before Profar’s return to the lineup. Given the fact that he’s under contract for two more seasons anyway, Profar should be a player that the team plans to feature as they build the 2026 roster this offseason.

Raisel Iglesias

Iglesias’ season for the Braves can best be categorized by splitting it into two halves. Much like Profar’s start to the season mentioned above, Iglesias’ start to the season was similarly rocky, leading up to him being removed from the closer’s role on June 7th after posting a 3-5 record, 6.75 ERA, 1.542 WHIP and 25 strikeouts in 24 innings.

Check out his statistics since June 17th though, and you will see a different pitcher. Since June 17th, Raisel Iglesias has reclaimed his status as one of the best closers in all of baseball in posting 15 saves, 1-1 record, 1.76 ERA, 0.70 WHIP and 33 strikeouts. Good closers are hard to find, and so it would be wise for the Braves to try & hang on to Iglesias in 2026 in an effort to reclaim their status as National League contenders.

The trouble is, Iglesias is set to be a 35-year-old free agent at the end of this season. Spoctrac has his projected market value for next season set at $8,720,840, which is a reasonable price for a veteran closer, but will the Braves be willing to pay the price? This storyline is certainly worth closely monitoring during the 2026 MLB offseason.

Hurston Waldrep

Waldrep has earned an opportunity to begin the season on the Opening Day roster in 2026 after posting a 4-0 record, 1.01 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and 33 strikeouts in 5 starts. He has looked sensational since making his season debut for the team on August 3.

The team has several roster holes to address this offseason, but the team’s starting rotation could be in good shape given the key starters set to return next season and Waldrep’s late-season development as a 23-year-old prospect with All-Star potential. Chris Sale, Spencer Schwellenbach, and Spencer Strider are locks to return for the team’s starting rotation next season, but there should be room for Waldrep as well.

Eli White

Check out Eli White’s Statcast profile and you will find a player that has elite Sprint Speed (99th percentile), strong Arm Strength metrics (82nd percentile), and a solid fielding Range grade amongst MLB outfielders (credited with 2 Outs Above Average).

Those are the various reasons as to why he has maintained his roster spot all season long while appearing in a career high 94 games at the major league level this season. Most of his batting metrics and statistics are in the Poor range, but White is a strong defensive outfielder who has value on the basepaths at a reasonably cheap price tag.

After setting a payroll figure of $790,000 in his first year of arbitration last offseason, the Braves will once again need to decide on the value of Eli White’s services in 2026. The team will certainly need to factor into account the defensive limitations of their other outfielders when assessing the value of White’s services, as Acuna and Profar have each received “Poor” grades for their 2025 fielding Range metrics, as the pair have been credited with -10 and -6 Outs Above Average this season, respectively.

Honorable mention: Ha-Seong Kim

In case you missed it, the Braves claimed INF Ha-Seong Kim off waivers from the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday afternoon and signed him to the team’s active roster. Kim will only have a month’s worth of games to prove himself on the 2025 Braves roster; however, the team most certainly made this transaction with 2026 in mind.

Injuries have led to a poor season from Kim in 2025, but he was a coveted free agent last offseason when he signed a two-year, $31M contract with the Tampa Bay Rays. The contract included a $16M player option for 2026, which any acquiring team of Kim’s services would most certainly need to be made aware of before claiming him.

Given the team’s offensive struggles at SS the past few years, it is this writer’s belief that the Braves are hoping for Kim to exercise the option this offseason and for him to return to form in 2026 so that he can become their starting shortstop next season.

Atlanta Braves could explore a reunion with these old friends at the MLB Trade Deadline

Braves GM Alex Anthopoulos made headlines recently when he declared in his radio interview that, “we [the Braves] are not selling… Will. Not. Happen. Bold, italicize it. We’re built to win. Our expectations are to win. Our expectations are to go for it….” With this notion in mind, and in recognition of the fact that the team’s performance on the field this season has been inconsistent at best, there are a variety of scenarios that can be explored to add talented players to the roster at the MLB trade deadline.

Given the financial constraints that the team is facing, one such scenario could be a reunion with old friends who are currently on bad teams & have expiring contracts. That said, exploring a reunion with these three players would certainly make sense for the Braves, with the assumption being that the price for said players is minimal.

Charlie Morton

Charlie’s season-long statistics aren’t pretty as he has a 4-7 record, a 5.63 ERA, and a 1.57 WHIP in 72 innings pitched; however, he has a 4-0 record with a 2.80 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP in his last 7 starts, an indication that he has figured things out as of late. The cost to acquire him shouldn’t be much as he is 41 years old and signed to a one-year, $15M deal with the Orioles, who are in last place in the American League East.

Morton is known for his durability and for providing quality innings in most of his starts, whereas the Braves are in need of both components to his game in the wake of Chris Sale’s injury & with all other starters set for career highs in innings pitched. This wouldn’t be a “sexy” signing by any stretch, but replacing one or both of Bryce Elder and Didier Fuentes in the starting rotation must be high priority for the team.

Michael Soroka

The Washington Nationals signed Soroka to a one-year, $10M deal this offseason to join their starting rotation and the results haven’t been pretty as he has compiled a 3-5 record, a 4.70 ERA, and a 1.03 WHIP in 59 1/3 innings (11 starts) for their team. As such, the team may be willing to participate in the rare inner-divisional trade to offload his contract and to allow other young players a shot in their starting rotation.

Soroka is still just 27 years old and now that he is further removed from the injuries that derailed his career here, he’s a strong candidate for a career resurgence of sorts as he enters what could be his prime years, whether it be as a starter or as a reliever. Bringing Michael back to the place where his career began could give the team a key option in their starting rotation and it would surely represent a nice feel-good story.

Kenley Jansen

The Braves bullpen is in desperate need of reinforcement at the trade deadline as the team looks to contend, so a reunion with Jansen could make sense on their end; however, the Angels are still very much in contention with a 41-42 record this year. They are currently in 3rd place in the A.L. West, but are alive in the Wild Card race.

Unfortunately for their team (and for the game of baseball), Angels manager Ron Washington won’t manage the team for the rest of this season due to medical issues. Ron Washington is forever a beloved figure in Braves Country as he was the Braves third base coach & fielding guru during the World Series championship run in 2021.

Would the team be willing to trade their closer in the middle of a postseason hunt? Jansen is 1-2 with a 4.70 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, and 15 saves in 28 2/3 innings this season. Despite the ugly metrics, he’s only blown 1 save this season in his 16 save attempts. The 37-year-old Angels closer signed a one-year, $10M contract this past offseason.

The Braves and Angels are set to play each other in a three-game set in Atlanta that begins on Tuesday, July 1st so both teams will surely evaluate how Jansen performs in any potential save situations that occur throughout the completion of the series.

It’s time for the Braves to call an emergency team meeting

It’s been a rough week for the Atlanta Braves, with Thursday’s 9th-inning meltdown against the Diamondbacks serving as a “rock bottom” for the Braves season thus far. Somehow, things have only gotten worse since Thursday, with Friday’s walk-off extra innings loss on a wild pitch being followed by Saturday’s terrible “gut punch” defeat. Just like that, the team that previously clawed their way back over .500 as recently as May 17th has all of the sudden joined the Miami Marlins in the cellar of the NL East.

The team has a 27-36 record, meaning that they are 12.5 games back in the National League East standings & 9 games back in the National League Wild Card standings. Everyone is frustrated, with manager Brian Snitker getting ejected for the first time this season after arguing over balls & strikes with home plate umpire Gabe Morales during the fifth inning of Saturday’s eventual 3-2 defeat to the San Francisco Giants. With this in mind, let’s take a look at why an emergency team meeting is necessary, the history of such team meetings, & why it would benefit the team moving forward.

There’s still plenty of baseball left to play

There are 99 regular season games of MLB action remaining, which is why now is the perfect opportunity to kick everyone’s butts into gear and try to make a big run. It’s also important to show GM Alex Anthopoulos that it’s worth it to try & add talent at the trade deadline; otherwise, the team will look to sell & rebuild for next season. The caveat is that the team needs to stop the bleeding now before it gets any worse.

Braves lineup hitters need a reality check

Ronald Acuña Jr, Marcell Ozuna, and Drake Baldwin have been the team’s best and most consistent hitters this season while everyone else has sorely underperformed. After a disastrous 2024 season for the team’s lineup that was largely written off due to injuries and a stale hitting philosophy which led up to the offseason dismissal of veteran hitting coach Kevin Seitzer, the players are out of excuses this time around. At the end of the day, there are two reasons for the Braves 9-18 record in one-score games: offensive failures with runners in scoring position & bullpen mishandlings.

Bullpen mismanagement represents an identity crisis

After blaming the players for the team’s offensive issues, the coaches deserve equal blame for their horrid mismanagement of the team’s disastrous bullpen this season. Not one reliever has a set role in which they know when & how they are set to pitch. Part of the issue is that Raisel Iglesias has been ineffective as the team’s closer this season, but beyond that the team hasn’t found relievers capable of filling the roles vacated by the losses of Joe Jiménez (injury) and A.J. Minter (Mets) this offseason.

Braves coaches need to get these bullpen roles figured out now before it is too late. Relievers have been getting DFA’d all season long to bring up new arms with no real explanation as to why they were sent packing in the first place, and so it is time for the coaching staff to address the issue and show accountability with their response. Craig Kimbrel’s one-day cameo appearance (and later dismissal) left a sour taste in the mouths of Braves fans, so just imagine how the bullpen must have felt about it.

History and track record of success in previous team meetings

Believe it or not, the Braves having an emergency team meeting is nothing new as there have been three recent in-season meetings (one per year) dating back to 2022. Brian Snitker called the first team meeting in 2022 which resulted in 14 straight wins to chase down the Mets in an NL East race in which the Mets had a 10 1/2 game lead. The Braves skipper called a second team meeting under different circumstances in 2023, & this time it resulted in a 104-win season fueled by a historic offensive output. Finally, the Braves players then called for a third players-only meeting in 2024 which resulted in an unlikely run to the playoffs for a team with no business being there.

Right now, the team is on a six-game losing skid, & they have lost 12 of their past 16. Recent team meetings have been called for previously under similar circumstances. The bottom line is that for whatever reason, team meetings are an effective strategy. If there was ever a “perfect time” to hold an emergency team meeting, why not now?

Making the case for a Braves postseason run

The Braves have a 24-23 record and are 5 games back of the Mets in the NL East race after an 0-7 start in which things went from bad to ugly in remarkably quick fashion. That said, there are now reasons for optimism regarding a potential postseason run. Obviously, over 100 games remain in the regular season before the Braves arrive at that point, but the fact that the team has put themselves into this position in the first place is rather impressive as everything that could go wrong has gone wrong so far. Without further ado, let’s look into some reasons for optimism regarding the Atlanta Braves and a potential playoff run that seemed unfathomable at the start of the year.

The team has finally cleared the .500 mark after an 0-7 start

The Braves became the 30th MLB team since 1901 to start the year with an 0-7 mark. None of the previous 29 teams made the playoffs, while only two finished over .500. That’s why it was so important for the Braves to finally vault themselves above the dreaded .500 mark on Tuesday, and to then clear it once again on Sunday afternoon.

There aren’t any assurances that eclipsing the .500 mark will equate to a postseason berth; however, the psychological benefits of chasing down the .500 mark and then surpassing it twice in one week are important for team morale both now & later on. After all, it took the 2021 Braves team until August 6th to finally break through their .500 barrier, & we all know how that turned out as the team rallied towards October.

Starting pitching rotation has risen out of an early-season funk

Through the beginning of May, the starting pitching rotation of Chris Sale, Spencer Schwellenbach, Grant Holmes, AJ Smith Shawver, and Bryce Elder looked mediocre. At the time, there were genuine concerns regarding Sale’s velocity, Schwellenbach’s regression, & Smith Shawver’s command, with all three of them struggling mightily. Holmes and Elder also seemed out of place, with the former looking as though he might fit best in the team’s bullpen & the latter looking like he might belong in AAA.

Fast forward to the middle of May, and all five of the starters were given two further turns through the rotation, and these ten performances were mostly phenomenal. In fact, the team’s pitching staff as a whole is 10-7 with a 2.95 ERA and 155 strikeouts in 155.1 innings during the month of May thus far, with data courtesy of Statmuse. Bryce Elder has an impressive 3.10 ERA over his past five starts, yet he was the odd man out on Thursday as he was optioned to provide a roster spot for a new pitcher…

Spencer Strider and Ronald Acuña Jr. are set to return from injury soon

Spencer Strider will start Tuesday’s game against the Nationals after a month-long stint on the team’s injured list while recovering from his strained right hamstring. This is exciting news for the team’s starting rotation, which as I mentioned earlier was already on quite a roll before adding a Cy Young-caliber player back into the mix. Assuming that Strider returns to pre-injury form (or anywhere close to that altitude) the Braves starting rotation could establish themselves as the best in all of baseball.

Don’t look now, but Ronald Acuña Jr. could be set for his triumphant return right on the heels of Spencer Strider’s activation from the injured list on Monday afternoon! In fact, the tentative expectation is that he’ll be ready to play during the team’s next homestand, which begins on Friday with a key three-game series against the Padres. As you may recall, the team’s 0-7 skid to start the season began with a throttling by the Padres in San Diego, so the Braves are due for payback. Get your popcorn ready.

Craig Kimbrel and Jesse Chavez are ready for action as bullpen reinforcements

But wait… there’s more as much-needed reinforcements to the team’s bullpen are on the way in the form of fan-favorite veteran relievers Craig Kimbrel and Jesse Chavez. These reinforcements are desperately needed, as the trio of Aaron Bummer, Enyel De Los Santos, and Rafael Montero cost the Braves two games just in this past week. Quite frankly, I’m not quite sure why the team hasn’t called up Kimbrel at this point.

Taking stock of all the hype and circumstance

The Braves have made watching baseball fun again after a disastrous start to their season that would have derailed most other MLB teams save for maybe the Dodgers. Will the surprising return to relevance coincide with a return to the playoffs in 2025? It’s probably still way too early to tell, but the fact that any of us are even having the discussion just goes to show how resilient this Braves team has already been in 2025. Maintaining that level of resilience will prove difficult, but with some much-needed reinforcements possibly on the way, a Braves postseason run is a distinct possibility.

Atlanta Braves Opening Day Roster Prediction

Opening Day is right around the corner!

The Braves are currently in the thick of Spring Training, with their first game of the regular season slated for Thursday, March 27th on the road vs. the San Diego Padres. With two-plus weeks of Grapefruit League games in the books, and fewer than two weeks of games left to play, now seems as good a time as any to offer a prediction on how the team’s Opening Day roster is shaping up and how it looks, on paper anyway. Without further ado, here is how this sportswriter views the Atlanta Braves 26-man roster being constructed for their first game of regular season action on March 27th.

Catcher (1): Drake Baldwin

Baldwin isn’t even on the Braves 40-man roster as of this writing, but the team’s No. 1 prospect has a chance to be the team’s starting catcher on Opening Day after yet another brutal injury to Sean Murphy, which will sideline him for four to six weeks. NL Cy Young winner and Braves ace Chris Sale said the following of Baldwin in his recent interview, “He’s got an unbelievable work ethic…I thought he looked great back there [catching]. He never looked overwhelmed & never looked overmatched.”

The plan to have Baldwin on the Opening Day roster isn’t set in stone though, as the team has reportedly begun eyeing veteran catchers in the wake of Murphy’s injury. Despite this statement, it would be a shock if Baldwin is left off of the Opening Day roster at this point, given the praise that he’s received and the lack of better options.

First Baseman (1): Matt Olson

Matt Olson has become one of the league’s “iron men” after cracking the top twenty on MLB’s all-time consecutive games played leaderboard last season with 620 games. Even in a “down year” for Olson in 2024, he still played every day & hit .247/.333/.457. In an injury-plagued season for the team, the Braves never worried about first base.

Second Baseman (1): Ozzie Albies

Ozzie Albies, much like many other Braves players last season, missed a significant amount of time due to an unfortunate injury that he suffered during the ’24 season. While he did come back for the team’s playoff run, he never looked right at the plate. Braves fans are certainly hoping for a return to full health of their second baseman.

Shortstop (1): Orlando Arcia

Arcia was one of the worst hitters in the league in 2024, but he is expected to be the team’s starting shortstop because he can play defense and he’s on a cheap contract. He’s not having a good camp this year either, hitting just .083/.185/.083 in 12 games. Will the team try to make an upgrade at the trade deadline if his struggles continue?

Third Base (1): Austin Riley

Austin Riley’s late-season injury felt like the final death knell for the Braves in 2024. Yes, the team still made the postseason, but it felt like they limped to the finish line. Riley gave Braves fans another scare on Friday when he was hit in the same hand that he fractured in August, but he seems to have dodged a bullet & avoided injury.

Outfielders (4): Michael Harris II, Jurickson Profar, Jarred Kelenic, Bryan De La Cruz

Michael Harris II, Jurickson Profar, and Ronald Acuña Jr. will serve as the primary three outfielders for the team once Acuña returns from injury, perhaps by mid-May. Until then, the tentative plan is for Jarred Kelenic and Bryan De La Cruz to platoon in left field, unless one of them manages to secure the role from the other outright. Both players are having strong spring camps, which is an encouraging sign for the team’s outfield (and it’s depth) as the unit enters the season on uncertain footing.

Designated Hitter (1): Marcell Ozuna

“Ozuna from the Braves” has turned his career around over these past two seasons. There was a time in which Marcell didn’t seem as though he would make it halfway through his current contract, and here he is on the last year of his (affordable) deal. His performance this season will go a long way in terms of determining just how he could fit into the Braves plans for the team next offseason, but I certainly won’t be counting him out anymore as he looks to be in great shape heading into the season.

Bench: Chadwick Tromp, Eli White, Nick Allen

The bench is where things get interesting, as late additions are always a possibility. Chadwick Tromp will be the team’s backup catcher until the return of Sean Murphy, barring a late free agent addition, as he’s having a strong spring & is out of options. Eli White is having a fantastic spring camp, hitting .385/.448/.538 while proving that he can handle outfield & infield responsibilities on defense, which boosts his value. Nick Allen leads the team in batting average (.458) while providing terrific infield defense, leading us to speculate if he could spell Arcia at times during the season.

Another name to watch is Christian Cairo, because as a player that the team selected in the Rule 5 Draft, he can’t be sent to the Minors without first clearing waivers and then getting offered back to his original organization (Cleveland Guardians) for half of his draft price, which in this case was a second round pick (15) in the Rule 5 Draft. That said, it’s certainly possible that the team is willing to part ways with this player as Cairo has done little to impress this spring in hitting .192/.323/.269 in 15 games.

Starting Pitchers (5): Chris Sale, Reynaldo Lopez, Spencer Schwellenbach, Grant Holmes, Ian Anderson

There has been plenty of change to the team’s starting rotation this offseason as Max Fried (Yankees) & Charlie Morton (Orioles) departed from the team via free agency. The good news is that the team has three returning starters in Chris Sale, Reynaldo López, & Spencer Schwellenbach as a foundation to build a starting rotation around. It certainly doesn’t hurt that 2023 MLB strikeout leader Spencer Strider is primed for a comeback from injury as well, as he is set to make his initial rehab start tomorrow.

Until Strider returns, the expectation is that Grant Holmes and Ian Anderson will be given opportunities to prove themselves in the team’s rotation, as both players are out of options & have shown talent at the big league level to keep them on the roster. Holmes’ spot in the rotation appears safe; however, AJ Smith Shawver could usurp Ian Anderson in the rotation as the former has struckout far more batters (18) and allowed far less walks (3) during this spring than the latter (6 and 13), respectively. That said, the fact that AJSS has options may work against his favor, as it’s possible that the team could decide to keep him down in Gwinnett to further hone his craft.

Relief Pitchers (8): Raisel Iglesias, Pierce Johnson, Aaron Bummer, Dylan Lee, Héctor Neris, Angel Perdomo, Daysbel Hernández, Jesse Chavez

Iglesias, Johnson, Bummer, and Lee are the only roster locks for the team’s bullpen. Neris was a late signing whose roster spot appears to be secure after the Braves just reassigned veteran relievers Buck Farmer and Jake Diekman to minor league camp. He’s a non-roster invitee though, so he will need a spot on the team’s 40-man roster. Similar things can be said for Angel Perdomo, who has a role as the team’s third lefty out of the bullpen after signing a one-year, split Major League contract last season.

Daysbel Hernández has minor league options remaining, but he contributed in a big way down the stretch of last season, and he has the tools to be an effective reliever. Jesse Chavez is currently a part of the Texas Rangers organization; however, Chavez has shown a knack for finding his way back to the Braves after struggling with other teams, and his Spring Training stats with the Rangers aren’t exactly awe-inspiring.

Other internal options for the team’s bullpen unit include Rule 5 draft pick Anderson Pilar, who is not having a great spring camp, along with non-roster invitees Enyel De Los Santos and Chad Kuhl, who have each shown brief flashes of success this spring. Look for the Braves to be very active on the free agent market in search of relievers.

2025 NFL Free Agency Day 1 Winners & Losers

Day 1 of the NFL’s Free Agency Frenzy is in the books, as several of the NFL’s notable players “unofficially” agreed to contracts with a handful of teams around the league. Some teams walked away having upgraded their rosters significantly in just one day, while other teams have their work cut out for them heading into the 2025 NFL Draft. With that being said, let’s take a look at some of the teams who are on opposite ends of the discussion: the winners & losers from the start of the NFL free agency period.

Winner: Chicago Bears

On the first day of free agency, the Chicago Bears made upgrades to both sides of the trenches by signing former Atlanta Falcons in C Drew Dalman and DT Grady Jarrett. Dalman was immediately amongst the first signings of the negotiating window, and he became the 2nd-highest paid center in the league on a three-year, $42M contract. Jarrett, meanwhile, was released by the Falcons organization at around 11 A.M. on Monday morning and he had already signed with the Bears by 4 P.M. the same day.

Combine the team’s aggressive approach in free agency with their pre-free agency trades for OGs Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson, and it’s clear that new head coach Ben Johnson prioritizes upgrading the lines of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. Dalman, Jarrett, Thuney, and Jackson are all solid veteran starters that the team has paid handsomely in an effort to establish an identity along the lines of scrimmage.

Loser: Atlanta Falcons

Hamstrung by the Kirk Cousins contract, the Falcons were forced to watch as both Jarrett and Dalman left for the Windy City during the first day of NFL free agency. That hurts, especially as they then saw similar teams that have rookie QBs (Bears, Commanders, Patriots) take more aggressive approaches in the first wave of free agency by taking advantage of having their quarterbacks signed to cheap contracts.

Even with the cap space gained from Jarrett’s release, the team is more likely than not going to find themselves bargain shopping during the latter days of free agency. That’s a tough pill to swallow when the team needs include defensive end, defensive tackle, cornerback, and center amongst a bundle of other high priority positions.

Winner: New England Patriots

For two decades under Bill Belichick, the Patriots were one of the most uninspiring teams during the free agency period; however, since his departure, the organization has turned into one of the most active in the entire league over the past few years. The trend continued on this year, as the Patriots agreed to terms with the No. 3 (DL Milton Williams) and No. 10 (CB Carlton Davis) players who were featured on the NFL’s list of the Top 101 NFL free agents of 2025, amongst several other signings.

Who can forget Williams’ performance in Super Bowl LIX where he had two sacks, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery in the Eagles lopsided victory over the Chiefs? Still just 26 years old, he may just now be coming into the prime of his stellar career. Davis, OT Morgan Moses, and DL Harold Landry were rewarded for their efforts as solid starters for their previous teams, which is what the Patriots desperately need.

Loser: Dallas Cowboys

After team owner Jerry Jones promised that the team was “all-in” last offseason and failing to deliver, the ‘Boys have taken a similar approach to their offseason in 2025. With all of their cap space tied up in the hefty contracts of QB Dak Prescott and WR CeeDee Lamb in addition to the pending mega contract extension for EDGE Micah Parsons, the team has very little wiggle room to sign other players that they need to compete with the Eagles and Commanders in the surprisingly competitive NFC East.

Their offseason so far has consisted of watching stalwart OL Zack Martin retire, re-signing DL Osa Odighizuwa and signing backup RB Javonte Williams on Monday. That’s just simply not going to cut it for a scuffling team that went 7-10 last season.

Winner: Washington Commanders

Credit the Commanders for realizing that their contention window is open after a surprising push to the NFC title game led by rookie QB Jayden Daniels last season. The team swung two massive trades in acquiring WR Deebo Samuel and OT Laremy Tunsil, in addition to picking up DL Javon Kinlaw on a modest three-year contract.

Upgrading the team’s defense should continue to be a priority, but it doesn’t appear that the team is fazed whatsoever by competing against the Eagles in their division. Of course, it certainly helps when all of your team’s financial resources can be put towards contending because your star rookie QB is signed to his cheap rookie deal.

Honorable mention: Seattle Seahawks

You can’t blame the team for trying I suppose after trading away QB Geno Smith and WR DK Metcalf in favor of signing QB Sam Darnold & re-signing their own players. That said, is Darnold really that much of an upgrade over Smith at a similar value? For a team that won 10 games last year, it’s hard to see a vision behind their moves.