Atlanta Braves
Down On The Farm
By: Colin Lacy
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Although the Braves may be off to a slow start to the 2025 season, we’ve said a couple of times/ways that “it’s not time to hit the panic button for Braves fans.”
Although the main reason for that is that it’s only April, another piece is what’s coming for the Braves along the horizon.
When most fans think of the “future” of a club, they think about the minor league system, and we’ll get there, but to start a trio of familiar names closer to making a major impact on the big club in the ATL.
Spencer Strider is the closest. After two dominant outings in his rehab assignment with Triple-A Gwinnett, rumblings say that Strider could be activated in Atlanta as soon as next week.
Ronald Acuna Jr. seems to be trending in the right direction as well. The former NL MVP is hoping to get cleared to start cutting and start/stopping while running which is one of the final hurdles before beginning his minor league rehab trip.
While those two are the front of mind for Braves fans, one that could be a dark horse is Craig Kimbrel. The Braves signed Kimbrel back to his original team late in the process of Spring Training, so Kimbrel has had to work his way back into season shape and is close to facing live hitters.
Once that happens, it would make sense that he has a little more extended time at a couple different minor league levels, but some say that (assuming all goes well and he’s effective) Kimbrel could be back on an Atlanta mound in May.
As far as the farm goes for the Braves, four of the top 5 Braves prospects are expected to see time in the big leagues this season.
The Braves top prospect actually broke camp with the team in Drake Baldwin. Now that Sean Murphy has returned from injury, Baldwin is now the backup. Although the first thought may be “why not send him back to Triple A to get consistent at-bats?”
I think keeping him in “The Show” is absolutely the best move. With him expected to be a huge piece of the Braves’ future, having him learn the big-league level and also being able to catch and get to know the pitching staff is unbelievably beneficial.
While the #2 overall prospect in the organization is still a couple of years away in theory with Cam Caminiti in Rookie Ball, Prospects #3-5 are expected to make an impact in the Bigs this year.
Hurston Waldrep is starting the year in Gwinnett with the Stripers. The former Florida Gator is off to a 1-0 start of the year with Gwinnett with eight strikeouts in nine innings of work.
The 4th best prospect in the Atlanta System is starting the year on the injured list, but Nacho Alvarez Jr. had thirty at-bats last season with the big club.
The middle infielder has a huge up-side with the glove and is a career .284 hitter in over 900 minor league at-bats.
Finally, the 5th best prospect, Drue Hackenberg is a former dominant force in the ACC with the Virginia Tech Hokies which led him to be a 2nd round pick by the Braves in 2023.
Hackenberg starts the 2025 season with the newly formed Columbus Clingstones (Double A affiliate). In two years in the Braves organization, Hackenberg boasts a 3.14 ERA in 30 career starts.
All of this to say, yes, the first two weeks of the season haven’t been what Atlanta was looking for, but while it evens out, also know reinforcements are on the way to the ATL.
Raw Deal
By: Colin Lacy
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The final day of March was one that Braves Manager Brian Snitker must have been hoping was either a bad dream or an early April Fool’s Day prank.
In one day, the Braves not only dropped their fifth straight game to open the season, but also learned that Reynaldo Lopez needed to be placed on the IL with arm issues along with the gut punch that key offseason acquisition Jurickson Profar was suspended for 80 games by the Major League Baseball Commissioner’s office for testing positive for a banned substance.
Profar was dinged for testing positive for Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG) which is a performance enhancer that is in violation with MLB’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.
Profar will be suspended for the next 80 regular season games which will remove him from the Atlanta plans until the end of June.
In addition, the second piece of the penalty is that if the Braves make it back to post-season play, Profar is not allowed to participate in any post-season games this year.
The 32-year-old Profar was the closest to a splash that Atlanta had this past offseason when Alex Anthopolous signed a three-year, $42 million deal in January.
The suspended outfielder was coming off by far his most productive season at the plate last year with San Diego (which coincidentally or not is where the Braves had just wrapped a four-game season opening series the night before when the news broke on Monday).
Last season for the Padres, Profar hit .280 with 24 homers and drove in 85 (all career highs) in route to his first career All-Star Game selection.
The former Padre also set a career high with 158 games played and marked just the third time in his 12-year career that he played in more than 140 games which leads to the question that has been swirling around the baseball world… “is it actually a coincidence?”
You can’t help but question how much coincidence is in the scenario that he has a career year in more games than he’s ever played in a single season, then four games into the following season, gets popped for PEDs.
Profar did say in a released statement on Monday that, “I want to apologize to the entire Braves organization, my teammates, and the fans. It is because of my deep love and respect for this game that I would never knowingly do anything to cheat it. I have been tested my entire career, including eight times last season alone, and have never tested positive. I would never willingly take a banned substance, but I take full responsibility and accept MLB’s decision.”
Now where do the Braves go from here? The Braves signed and subsequently on Tuesday activated Stuart Fairchild to help fill the void.
Fairchild, a career .224 hitter knocked a career best 8 homers and 30 RBI in just 94 games last year with Cincinnati.
Along with Fairchild, Bryan de la Cruz was signed by the Braves in the offseason, so it looks like a combination of those two will be the band-aid in the interim until at least Ronald Acuna Jr. returns from knee surgery (which is expected to be May at the earliest).
The Braves also signed Alex Verdugo late in Spring Training but isn’t expected to be ready for live games for at least a couple of weeks.
While the Braves must in the interim find a leadoff hitter and outfielder, I think another look needs to be taken at some of the screening that players must go through in that pesky “pending a physical” clause at the bottom of the headline signing.
Less than 3 months after signing the contract to be suspended for PEDs is a little quick for my liking, and I would be shocked if that’s not looked into already in Atlanta.
Crisis Level: High
By: Michael Spiers
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Oxford dictionary defines the word nightmare as “a frightening or unpleasant dream”, and “a person, thing, or situation that is very difficult to deal with”.
Major League Baseball’s opening day has come and gone and that definition fits the Atlanta Braves perfectly.
The Braves’ early season has already gone from bad to worse. The Braves got another gut punch when outfielder Jurickson Profar was hit with an 80-game suspension for testing positive for a banned substance.
Hours later, they placed starting pitcher Reynaldo López on the injured list with shoulder inflammation. Then, they lost 6-1 to the Dodgers, extending their winless start —Atlanta’s worst since 2016.
The Braves signed Profar to a three-year, $42 million deal in January, expecting him to be a key part of their offense after a breakout 2024 season with San Diego. Now, he’s out until late June and won’t be eligible for the postseason.
In a statement, Profar said he would “never knowingly take a banned substance” but accepted the suspension.
The Braves, clearly blindsided, said they were “surprised and extremely disappointed” but support MLB’s drug policy.
Profar’s absence leaves a big hole in an already struggling lineup. Atlanta made a quick move, acquiring outfielder Stuart Fairchild from the Reds.
With Ronald Acuña Jr. still recovering from ACL surgery and likely out for another month, the Braves now have to lean on Bryan De La Cruz.
As if losing Profar wasn’t enough, the Braves also lost López to a shoulder injury. The right-hander struggled in his first start against the Padres, and after experiencing soreness in a bullpen session, the team decided to shut him down. Lopez will undergo surgery and will miss several months.
To fill his spot in the rotation, Atlanta called up Bryce Elder from Triple-A Gwinnett. Elder was an All-Star in 2023 but had a rough 2024 season, finishing with a 6.52 ERA.
If Elder struggles, the Braves may have to turn to top prospect Hurston Waldrep or another minor-league arm to stabilize their rotation.
To this point every game has followed the same frustrating script for Atlanta. The offense can’t solve opponents pitching.
The good news is that it’s still very early, but the Braves’ start has been a disaster. They were supposed to be World Series contenders, but instead, they’re dealing with a suspended star, an injured rotation, and an offense stuck in neutral.
General Manager Alex Anthopoulos is already facing tough questions. He signed Profar expecting his 2024 numbers to be legit, but now there’s doubt.
The Braves are on the hook for that $42 million, and if Profar can’t produce clean, this deal could turn into a disaster.
For now, Atlanta just needs to stop bleeding. Asked about how the team is handling everything, Austin Riley kept it simple: “We’ve just got to focus on today.”
Let’s hope that we can all wake up, pass our drug screens, and move on from this nightmare.
NL East Beasts
By: Michael Spiers
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
It’s a glorious time for a sports fan, even without the NFL.
We are down to the Sweet 16 in March Madness and the Masters starts soon. Heck, even the United Football League (UFL) is supposed to start the season this week. The most important of all…the MLB season starts.
This is Braves country, but with so much National League East talk about the Mets and Phillies this offseason, it’s easy to forget that the Braves, even with a rough year, still won 89 games and made the playoffs in 2024. By our standards, that was a down season.
The biggest reason? Health. Last season, Ronald Acuña Jr. and Spencer Strider missed most of the year, and while neither will be ready for Opening Day, both should be back early in the season.
Other players like Chris Sale, Reynaldo López, and Ozzie Albies have durability concerns, but it’s hard to imagine the Braves dealing with worse injury luck than they did in 2024.
The rotation has some holes to fill with Max Fried and Charlie Morton gone, leaving a big workload to replace. Young guys like AJ Smith-Shawver and Grant Holmes, will have to step up early while Strider works his way back.
The bullpen also took a hit, losing A.J. Minter to the Mets and Joe Jiménez to injury. The Braves always seem to find solid relievers, and I think Raisel Iglesias, Pierce Johnson, and Aaron Bummer will be key.
What makes Atlanta dangerous, though, is their offense. Michael Harris II is a breakout MVP candidate, the addition of Jurickson Profar adds depth, and if Austin Riley and Matt Olson play to their potential, this lineup can carry them. If Acuña comes back at full strength, the Braves could be the most balanced team in the NL.
The NL East is shaping up to be the toughest division in baseball. Three teams—the Braves, Phillies, and Mets—made the playoffs last season, and all three expect to be back.
Throw in an improving Nationals squad, and it’s going to be a battle all year long.
The Phillies finally won the NL East last season but got knocked out early in the playoffs by the Mets.
Their core, including Bryce Harper, is still strong, but they’re is getting older. The big question is consistency. They started last year red-hot but faded in the second half. Which version will show up in 2025? If they stay steady, they’re good enough to win the division again, but if age starts catching up, they could take a step back.
The Mets made a deep playoff run last season, knocking out the Phillies before falling to the Dodgers. Then, they made a huge splash by signing Juan Soto in the offseason, giving them a stacked lineup with Francisco Lindor, Pete Alonso, and Brandon Nimmo.
I think in 2025, their biggest question is pitching. Their bats are strong, but if the pitching falters, they could be stuck fighting for a Wild Card spot.
The Washington Nationals have been rebuilding. Young stars Dylan Crews and James Wood are the future, and adding veterans Nathaniel Lowe and Josh Bell should help them compete.
The rotation has potential, with MacKenzie Gore and former Brave Michael Soroka looking to bounce back. I don’t think they’re playoff-bound yet, but they could be a tough matchup, especially late in the season.
Miami has struggled and could be headed for another 100-loss season. If they get off to a slow start, expect them to trade away any valuable players by midseason.
Sandy Alcántara is back from injury, and young ace Eury Pérez should return after the All-Star break.
The 2025 NL East is going to be a dogfight. The Braves, Phillies, and Mets all have the talent to win the division, while the Nationals are a team to watch for the future. The Marlins? Not so much.
Atlanta looks ready for a comeback, but with Philly and New York in the mix, nothing will come easy. Expect a tight race, plenty of drama, and some must-watch matchups all season long.
Profar Potential?
By: Colin Lacy
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Finally…Finally we have a newsworthy headline coming out of Truist Park. The Atlanta Braves and Jurickson Profar have agreed to a three-year deal to bring the 2024 All-Star to Braves Country.
After an offseason that seemingly only had departures from “the A,” the Braves fill a void in the outfield that virtually everyone around the Braves organization had in the top 2 of needs going into the 2025 season.
Profar had by far his best season of his 11-year MLB Career with the Padres in 2024 and knocked out many career firsts. The Curacao native notched his first career All-Star Game appearance, first career Silver Slugger and finished in the top 15 in the voting for the NL MVP Award.
Career bests were aplenty in 2024 for Profar. The 31-year-old knocked an eleven year best .280 average while driving home a career high 85 RBIs and a career most 24 homeruns.
While last season for Profar was spectacular, was it an anomaly? Profar is a career .245 hitter with only three 20-homer seasons including 2024 (the others coming in back-to-back years in 2018 & 2019). Is Profar able to replicate the successes of 2024 while donning the Braves uniform in 2025? Only time will tell.
Should this alleviate the frustrations of Braves fans that were caused by the quiet off-season? To me, that answer is… partially.
This could be a good piece for Atlanta. Besides coming off the career year for Profar, he is also a versatile veteran that has appeared at seven different positions in his big-league career (has only not appeared as a pitcher and catcher).
While Profar has settled into a leftfielder (148 of the 158 appearances coming in LF), he has seen significant time in a year at shortstop, second base, and first base. This is unquestioned an attempt to fill the outfield void, but I’m just playing devil’s advocate that there are other plus sides to this move that may not shine through until a worst-case scenario comes to fruition.
The flip side of the stance that this move partially curbs the frustration of Braves Country is that this move can’t be THE move of the offseason.
Earlier it was mentioned that filling the void in the outfield was probably in the top two needs moving forward for the Bravos, the other would-be starting pitching.
The Braves have already seen Max Fried sign with the Yankees and Charlie Morton sign with the Orioles pairing that with the fact that Spencer Strider won’t be fully healthy when the team breaks camp to begin the 2025 campaign, it means the Braves have to bring in a solid at worst starter.
Before the Profar signing, Braves beat writer Mark Bowman reported that sources inside the Braves organization had said the club would be sitting right around the $33 million range for added salary going into 2025. Now that Profar is earning $12 million of his 3-year $42 million deal in 2025, assuming that number stays similar, it gives the Braves about $20 million to work with to find rotation help.
Atlanta had talks with Nathan Eovaldi for figures around that $20 million mark before Eovaldi signed a three-year deal with the Rangers worth a total of $75 million.
So, who is still on the market for starting pitching? There have been a couple free-of free-agents that have been picked around and still available in guys like Jack Flaherty, but the free-agent market is starting to become bare. I believe a trade is the more likely target for General Manager Alex Anthopolous.
All of that said, I’m not saying that Jurickson Profar is a wasted move. It’s a good piece added to the Braves lineup and at least partially answers the outfield question, but it can’t be the biggest move of the offseason if the Braves want to be reloaded and ready to roll into 2025.
Splashless
By: Colin Lacy
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
After what most Braves fans see as a 2024 Braves season that didn’t meet expectations, Alex Anthopolous was expected to make a splash this offseason to bolster the roster, but up until this point in late December, there has barely been a ripple, let alone a splash.
Most of the news involving the Braves coming across your ticker has been now former Bravos now donning a new uniform going forward.
The biggest subtraction from the Atlanta club is one that most suspected would not be back in the 404 after not landing on an extension prior to the 2024 season, but came to fruition in mid-December when Max Fried signed an eight-year contract with the Yankees.
Other departures include Travis d’Arnaud team option not exercised and promptly signing a two year deal with the Angels.
There have been some pens to paper to add to the Braves clubhouse, but most would fly under the radar for the casual Braves fan.
The most recent coming on December 20th with the Braves trading for RHP Davis Daniel with the Angles and sending minor league lefty hurler Mitch Farris to Anaheim.
Daniel was born in Atlanta and was a seventh-round selection out of Auburn. The former Tiger made his major league debut in 2023 with three appearances out of the Angels bullpen and put up a 2.19 ERA in the short debut season.
With experience in both the back end of the Angels rotation last year and out of the bullpen, Daniel gives the Braves options on how he is used and what the best path looks like for the partnership.
The only other addition to note (if you want to call it that) is signing outfielder Bryan De La Cruz to a one-year non-guaranteed deal.
The past few years haven’t worked out for De La Cruz. In 2024, De La Cruz started the season with the Marlins and fell victim to the Miami Fire Sale in late July when he was traded to Pittsburgh for a pair of prospects.
After 44 games with the Pirates, De La Cruz was non-tendered by the club after just a .200 average and three homers.
There are a couple of bright spots in this somewhat head-scratching signing for the Braves. While Atlanta fans can hope for another rejuvenating season that the Braves development staff have done in the past, the biggest plus to this signing is options.
De La Cruz is a young player at 27 years old and still has options to be used, so if he doesn’t make the team out of spring, he can be sent to Gwinnett as depth.
Because of not exercising d’Arnaud’s $8 million option and re-working the contracts of Renaldo Lopez and Aaron Bummer to a lower dollar amount than anticipated, the Braves have some money to play with to go after that “splash” that has been hoped for since September.
Anthopolous said early in the off-season that he wouldn’t be deterred by the higher penalties (higher taxes with competitive balance tax thresholds) in order to go out and sign someone that could really help the club, but now the question is what’s the priority?
You can argue if the priority should be a bat in the outfield or help in the rotation or a key bullpen arm.
To me, the lineup should be mark number one. As hot and cold as the offense was last season, they seemed to be missing a solid bat in the middle of the order to be consistent all season long.
You find that, in a way, it takes the stress off the pitching staff both on the rotation and the pen. Now… just have to find it.
Getting The Band Back Together
By: Colin Lacy
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Tuesday July 30th at 6pm or known in the baseball world as “the trade deadline” has come and gone for 2024.
While there weren’t any blockbuster deals for the Braves, or any team for that matter, Alex Anthopoulos and company did pull off a couple deals to improve an Atlanta club down the back stretch.
The Braves sat eight and a half games out of the NL East division race at the trade deadline but were clinging to a one game lead in the Wild Card chase.
While a few free agent signings add some pieces to an injury riddled lineup, the only trade made at the deadline was with San Francisco to bring a couple former Braves World Series impact players back to “The A.”
First off, this trade deadline was unlike others in recent memory. 2024 proved to be hugely a “seller’s market” with higher returns required because of the very few number of teams that were actually sellers.
As the standings sit, there are twenty-one MLB Teams that are within five games of one of the twelve playoff spots between the two leagues (either to division leads or one of the three wildcard slots).
The addition of the third Wild Card team a few years ago by MLB has brought mixed reviews. The intention was to bring exactly what it has in 2024 where more teams are still in contention for postseason. The downside is it drives the price up at the deadline and has mediocre teams that are contending for postseason play.
That out of the way, we turn the attention to the additions for the Braves this week. The only trade made before the Tuesday deadline was with the San Francisco Giants.
Atlanta sends reliever Tyler Matzek and infield prospect Sabin Ceballos to the west coast in return for two players that were integral in the 2021 World Championship for the Braves in Jorge Soler and bullpen piece Luke Jackson.
Soler brought home the 2021 World Series MVP for Atlanta after hitting three home runs and six RBI against the Houston Astros to secure the fourth World Championship in franchise history.
This is a very similar scenario to how Soler was acquired by Atlanta in the magical 2021 season. Three years to the day prior to the July 30th trade this year, Soler was traded to the Braves from Kansas City.
After 2021, Soler has spent the 2022 and 2023 season with the Marlins. Soler hit .250 with Miami last season knocking in thirty-six homers and drove in seventy-five RBI.
After signing with San Francisco in February, Soler has hit .240 with twelve long balls and 40 RBI. While it’s a red flag to some that Soler hasn’t played the field this season (served as the DH for all ninety-three games for the Giants), the Braves see a serviceable outfielder while also gaining a huge improvement to fill the leadoff spot in the lineup.
Luke Jackson spent five years in the Atlanta bullpen from 2017-2021 including a fantastic 2021 season that posted career bests 1.98 ERA in seventy-one appearances.
After missing all of 2022 with a UCL injury with the Braves, Jackson also battled injuries in 2023 with San Francisco with thirty-three appearances.
This season hadn’t gone the way Jackson would have liked to the tune of a 5.40 ERA in thirty-six appearances. While the Braves pen has been a strength, Jackson will be appearing in non-pressure situations.
So, what did the Braves part with to bring a couple of World Champions back to Atlanta?
Tyler Matzek played a crucial role in the 2021 Championship, but since has only appeared in fifty-three games at the big-league level with Atlanta in the past 3 years and only eleven since the end of 2022.
While Matzek quickly became a fan favorite, this may be a scenario where the change of scenery does Matzek good, and who knows…. we’ve seen plenty of fan favorite players back in the A before.
The other piece that departs the Braves organization is Sabin Ceballos, the former Oregon catcher who had turned into an infield piece after being drafted in the 3rd round of 2023.
While this deal may not be the blockbuster moves that everyone always clammers for, this could be a huge deal in the long run for Atlanta, and maybe some Anthopolous magic strikes again!
Out Of No Where
By: Charlie Moon
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Oh come on, we all saw this coming, right?
Raise your hand if you knew the following: Prior to the 2024 Atlanta Braves campaign, a guy with one of the most unassuming names – Lopez – would not only lead the Braves in ERA, but as of June 26, all of Major League Baseball. Oh, come on, stop that!
I mean, Lopez? In the English language world of last names, you got names like Smith and Johnson. But in Hispanic culture, you have names like Fernandez and… Lopez. Who would have thought a guy that was destined for a velled middle relief spot in the Braves bullpen would sit atop MLB?
When you think of momentous trades and/or roster additions in Atlanta Braves and MLB history during my lifetime, a couple come to mind.
Probably the most recognizable and arguably, the most influential trade in Braves history, was for the man affectionately known around Braves Country as “Smoltzie.”
It was August 1987 and the Braves were still in their lovable losers days, while Detroit was in a heated AL-East race with the Blue Jays.
The Tigers needed one more starting piece to their rotation and they got it. The Braves sent veteran Doyle Alexander to the Tigers. Alexander went on to garner 10 wins in that short August – October span. The Tigers won the AL East by two games over the Blue Jays and lost in the ALCS to the Twins in five games.
And the Braves got an unknown kid named John Smoltz, who wasn’t even in the majors. He was in his rookie season, with the Tigers’ minor league affiliate, Lakeland, (FL) team.
Who knew then, that Smoltz would become one of the most renowned pitchers in Atlanta Braves history?
Who can forget the July 20, 1993 Fulton County Stadium fire in the press box prior to the game against the Cardinals?
The Braves were 8 games back of the San Francisco Giants. I guess it was a presage to McGriff’s own fire at the plate. He belted a tying home run in the 6th, enroute to an 8-5 win over St. Louis.
Call it six degrees of separation, but later I’ll tell you the Cardinals tie to Lopez’s big splash. McGriff went on to aid Atlanta in an epic 8-game division winning comeback in the second half of the season.
And that trade? The Braves sent OFs Melvin Nieves and Vince Moore and RHP Donnie Elliott to the San Diego Padres for McGriff. I’d say the Braves got the best of that one.
And now, Reynaldo Lopez? In most trade reports, you’ll see something like, “On November 20, 2023, the Braves added another reliever…..”
That’s right. Lopez has spent nearly all of his 9-year career in the bullpen. He went a combined 17-25 in 2018 and 2019 as a starter for the Chicago White Sox, but that’s pretty much it for the big, strong right-hander out of the Dominican Republic.
The rest of his nine years have almost all been in the pen.
That is – until now. Chris Sale and Max Fried have been phenomenal, combining to go 17-5. Sale has even been a pleasant surprise, since coming over from the Red Sox. That was a huge get for Atlanta itself.
But it’s been Lopez, from nowhere, that has stolen the show, from a numbers standpoint. Remember that tie-in with McGriff and the Cardinals?
Well, in Wednesday’s 6-2 win over the Cardinals, Lopez went 5 innings and earned the win. But, it also put him over the required 75 innings to be on the MLB Leaderboard in ERA, at 1.70.
Look, between Braves GMs Schuerholz and current Alex Anthopoulos, they have been a lot of great trades and signings. But in the end, it may be one that came while we were all eating left-over turkey sandwiches during November’s hot stove league, that just might take the cake.
Shaky Knees
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Baseball is a metaphor for life, one of its most enduring lessons is that the universe gives not one whit for our collective desires; it will mete out blessings and hardships as it sees fit.
Last year, Ronald Acuña Jr. became the first player to hit 40+ home runs and steal 70+ bases in the same season, winning NL MVP for his efforts. It was a truly remarkable and historic season, one that fans of the Braves and the MLB will never forget.
In the first two months of the season, the Braves lost Spencer Strider, the 2023 MLB wins and strikeouts leader, with season-ending elbow surgery after two starts.
The Braves also lost Acuña, the first player to have as many as 40 homers and 70 stolen bases in a season, to an ACL tear. Acuña finished with 41 and 73 in 2023, while batting .337 with an NL-best 1.012 OPS.
Even with his early struggles this season, he still had a solid .351 OBP and was a threat every time he was at the plate and made opposing pitchers uneasy from the first pitch.
Leading off the first inning, he had a .333 average with an .857 OPS, and leading off any inning he hit .356 with a .420 OBP and .886 OPS. Not up to his lofty standards, but still the majors’ ninth-best average when leading off innings. A year ago, Acuña hit .384 with 18 homers and a 1.134 OPS leading off innings.
2023 was a triumphant return to form for Acuña after he tore his right ACL in July 2021. He returned to action in late April of 2022, but it took time to regain his mojo, posting a career-low 2.6 bWAR upon his return. (Not counting the shortened 2020 season.)
If that timeline is the career roadmap, then we may not see Acuña in peak form again until 2026. He will miss the remainder of this season.
Needless to say, Acuña’s absence is a huge blow to the Braves, who are currently chasing the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East. Of course, it was a big blow when Atlanta lost him in 2021 — and they went and won the World Series.
Which likely brings us to-gulp- 2026 for the next potential glimpse of Acuña at an MVP level. He will be 28 that year, still in his baseball prime.
If he stays relatively healthy from that point forward, he can still fulfill his Hall of Fame potential. But who can predict how this all might play out, especially now that he has twice suffered these freakish knee injuries?
Acuña is still just 26 years old. He’s been through this injury and rehab before, and there’s little doubt that he’ll be back to electrifying the baseball diamond soon enough.
The results of that work were not fully apparent when he returned in late April 2022, and did not become truly evident until ’23.
Acuña undoubtedly will adopt the same mindset again, knowing what steps he must take, literally and figuratively, to return to MVP form.
That will not make his rehabilitation any less lonely or frustrating. The last thing Ronald Acuña Jr. wanted was to go through this again. Forgive him if he wants to scream.
Man, what a huge bummer.
Replacing The Ace
By: Jeb Watkins
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Atlanta Braves will be without their ace Spencer Strider for the remainder of the 2024 season.
The organization released information recently that the flame-throwing 25-year-old underwent UCL surgery on his right elbow.
An early 2025 season return seems to be the best braves fans like myself can hope for.
The show must go on however, and the Bravos need to fill his spot in the rotation.
Notice I said fill and not replace, and here is why. Strider is not just the braves ace, he’s a stud, a top 5 pitcher in the league and a Cy Young contender.
His 281 strikeouts last season were a franchise record, so to say any of the names on this list can replace him would be an insult.
Although, Braves GM Alex Anthopoulos has replaced an MVP caliber player before back in 2021 and it was good enough to win a championship. So, let’s go through and see who the Braves best options are for the open position.
For this article we will look at internal options only.
Alan Winans tried out against the Mets Thursday and flunked out. He posted 5 innings allowing 7 runs with 6 earned and only 1 strikeout. Atlanta sent him back to triple-A immediately. I expect he’ll get another chance but not anytime soon.
Darius Vines was subsequently called up. Vines pitched in 5 games last year and turned in a 3.98 ERA over 20 innings of work, so the sample size on him is just too small. I expect him to fare better than his teammate Winans did, since vines typically pitches to contact and the Braves have above average defensive play.
I don’t think he is the answer right now though and he will be going back to Gwinnett soon.
AJ Smith-Shawver is an interesting case in this situation. At 21 years old he probably has the rawest pitching talent on this list, I love watching this kid pitch and I believe he can be the answer long term this season to replace strider.
He’s struggled out of the gate this season in triple-A and will need a couple of good outings before the Braves call him up to fill in.
Last year as a 20-year-old he posted a 4.26 ERA with 20K’s and only 11 walks over 25 innings of work. He also got 2 innings of postseason experience.
Bryce Elder has the most likely odds to fill the spot early in the season mainly because he has the most experience out of all the Braves young options.
The big righty started 31 games last year and made the All-Star team in his rookie season.
He became more average in the second half of the season and eventually lost his spot in the rotation during Spring Training, losing out to Reynaldo Lopez.
Elder another pitch to contact guy can thrive with this Braves team though when the bats are humming he won 12 games with only 4 losses and a respectable 3.81 ERA.
I think you can expect to see this guy called up next after Vines is sent back down.
Dark Horses: The last three on this list are long shots but expect them to get some work in while number 99 is recovering.
Dylan Dodd the only lefty on this list, he pitched in 7 games in 2023, turning in a disappointing 7.60 ERA in 34 innings with 15K’s and 12 walks.
Dodd is likely working on his command and stamina in triple-A and will need more time for correction before he is ready to come back to the show.
Huascar Ynoa, we know this guy has the stuff to pitch at the big-league level. Ynoa had somewhat of a breakout year in 2021 starting 17 games and finishing with a 4.05 ERA 100K’s with 25 walks in 91innings.
The following 2022 season saw him struggle with command and arm soreness, which eventually led to him having his own Tommy John surgery and missing the 2023 season.
Ynoa only got 1 inning in the spring so I expect the team wants to see more from him in the minors for now.
Hurston Waldrep, the Cairo Georgia native and Thomasville High Graduate was taken 24th overall by the Braves in last year’s draft.
Waldrep is a real long shot. He had some nice outings in double A Mississippi last season and got 1 start at the triple A level and did well.
The Braves started him out in Mississippi this year though and he’s had a rough go of it in only two starts. I don’t think we will see this kid until September at the earliest.
