With a month to go before the start of the season, it’s time to start my annual bold predictions for the Braves 2025 campaign, and I’m beginning with a bonus.
Before the start of the season, the Braves will add a starting pitcher.Â
With Spencer Strider expected to miss around a month to begin the year, the Braves currently only have three proven starting arms — Chris Sale, Spencer Schwellenbach, and Reynaldo Lopez. That’s not a bad 1-2-3 punch, and Grant Holmes flashed a lot of potential and will start the season as the #4. After that, however, it’s cloudy.
Top prospect arm AJ Smith-Shawver looked very sharp in his first Spring Training outing, but ideally, the Braves are hoping Ian Anderson, who is out of options, can solidify himself as a major-league starter again. There’s still time for that to happen, but I just don’t see it. His velocity is down from where it was when he was a mainstay in Atlanta from 2020-2022. There are concerns about his control; Anderson’s not the type of pitcher that can get away with a high walk rate, and he’s still yet to show a consistent third offering.
All of those things could improve quickly as Spring Training transpires, and like the rest of Braves Country, I hope they do. But my bold prediction before the start of the season is they don’t, which leaves the Braves severely lacking in the depth department even when Spencer Strider returns. If the Braves get the feeling that Ian Anderson isn’t capable of producing in Atlanta, they’ll likely look for a late offseason addition. A proven veteran like Jose Quintana makes sense, who will cost pennies to acquire, or perhaps they ramp up trade negotiations.
I’m not expecting a frontline guy. The Braves have plenty of those, and they are going to want to keep them healthy throughout the season. Chris Sale, Spencer Schwellenbach, Reynaldo Lopez, and Spencer Strider, when he returns, could all use extra days of rest throughout the season. The Braves are going to need at least 7-8 starting arms to get through the season, and I don’t see that many on the 40-man roster right now.
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Photo: David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire
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