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.
The Sports Beacon 