Spring Training may as well start tonight
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I don’t think the Atlanta Braves are going to win a ton of games in the second half of the season or make the playoffs. If you’ve been in a coma since March, this is shocking news but among the conscious it isn’t. They are eleven games below even and just lost seven of nine in the homestand. The 2023 version of the Braves might have been able to dig themselves out of this hole that they’ve dug with the three shovels of injuries, poor approach, and stupidity. But I don’t think this bunch can do it.
We can spend the next nine months cataloging how poorly they done, how badly they’ve competed, and how disappointed they are. And we will and always do, if you’re worried. But if you do decide to stay engaged, they may be some interesting things that will happen. I just wouldn’t expect, you know, them to win games or anything.
Drake Baldwin could win the National League Rookie of the Year award
We can watch Drake Baldwin continue the crush the ball and outrun every rookie chasing him. His worst month was March/April as he got his feet wet standing in for an injured Sean Murphy. But he still had a .250/.328/.404 line with a 106 wRC+. He murderkilled through May with a .389/.411/.593 line and a 181 wRC+ and had 4 home runs in June. Drake Baldwin hits the ball where he wants. He should continue to do so for the rest of the year.
The Braves can determine what to do at designated hitter
It’s hard to say what the Braves will do at designated hitter next season, when it comes using bonus spot to rotate their stronger hitters when they could use a break from the field. Marcell Ozuna has, for the most part, played well enough to hold down the slot since inception of the National League designated hitter.
But Ozuna is a free agent in 2026, and his play is not currently inspiring an extension. He looks more likely to enter the Injured List that enter contract negotiations at this point. Drake Baldwin had a run out on Sunday. It should have happened six weeks ago on occasion, but as Kelly Bundy always says “case of rum, case of rum.” Jurickson Profar looks like a candidate in 2026, if only because his left field defense is nearly unplayable. They could rotate Sean Murphy, Drake Baldwin, and Matt Olson when Marcell Ozuna does join the Injured List.
They could trade a player or three
The Braves may decide to move a few players during July. Marcell Ozuna and Raisel Iglesias are free agents next season. Aaron Bummer receives $9.5 MM next season, and the Braves pretty well hate him. Chris Sale has an option for 2026 and Joe Jimenez is a free agent in 2027 as well. I don’t think either or those will move, but you never know.
They could try players at different positions
I wasn’t a big fan of playing Drake Baldwin in left field during the middle of the season. He is a rookie who is crushing at the plate and behind the dish already. I was okay with him just playing some designated hitter. Now, you have the ability to treat some games as spring training. So if they are curious about it, maybe they give him two or three innings in left field for a month, then pick a random day in September and have him start. I just wouldn’t over work him.
Eli White has played some second base in his day. If they are curious abut him, they could give Ozzie a rest here and there and try the outfielder there. A second baseman that can manage around 80-85 wRC+ (say around .640-.660 OPS) with good defense would get the Braves a below-average to league-average second baseman. Ivan’s correct in stating that the Braves won’t go full baseball lab, but they could tinker here and there.
The Braves should win two or three games a week
The Braves might lose three of four games a week. But even lousy teams are going to win 70 games and manage two or three wins a week. They may have a few walkoffs in there. They could beat the Mets, and that’s always fun.
There’s also no more scoreboard watching anxiety. There’s no worrying about falling back in the standings. (What are they going to do, fall 23 games out versus 22?) No more worrying about how the team looks going into the playoffs. What I’m saying is that the rush is over. There is no playoff push, only this.
The Braves might get a new manager
Not exactly. We might get confirmation that 2025 is Brian Snitker’s last season. So maybe no more squeezing the juice from every starter. No more assigning relievers an inning. I had a moment in Sunday’s game where I thought “hey, here’s where Tony Mansolino should bring in a lefty to face Matt Olson. But this is his inning, and every manager is dumb.” But he did bring in a lefty, and any chance to score that inning was erased. Did I mention how the Orioles were 25-21 after Brandon Hyde was fired, and that they were 15-28 before?
And we’ll be here. We have draft coverage and the signing tracker and all of the fun things that make this place special. I have some projects that I have been working on that will maybe see some time here. I’ll still be watching and writing. What else am I going to do?