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.
The Sports Beacon 