The Atlanta Braves are still sorting out exactly what they want their pitching staff to look like, and as more guys return to health, some difficult decisions are going to have to be made. Because ultimately, it’s not about what a player has done to this point — it’s about who gives the club the best chance to win moving forward.
Potential upside is often the deciding factor, especially when evaluating guys on the fringe of the roster.
That’s what makes Daysbel Hernández so intriguing.
As Hernandez climbed through the minors, his swing-and-miss stuff started turning heads, averaging 11.3 strikeouts per nine innings over his minor-league career. In 2025, he emerged as a legitimate piece of Atlanta’s bullpen before shoulder inflammation cut his season short.
Those same shoulder issues lingered into 2026, but he’s back on the mound in Gwinnett and beginning to look like himself again, flashing a high-90s fastball paired with a nasty wipeout slider.
It’s the kind of arsenal that — if he can consistently throw strikes, which has been the biggest hurdle of his career — profiles as a legitimate late-inning weapon.
Another high-powered arm to monitor is Jhancarlos Lara. Admittedly, the numbers have been ugly. Lara owns a 12.91 ERA through his first eight appearances for Double-A Columbus and still hasn’t found any consistency with his command, averaging an absurd 18.8 walks per nine innings.
But when you throw 100 mph and miss bats the way Lara can, people are going to keep paying attention. If he ever figures out how to consistently attack the strike zone, he’ll be in Atlanta. It’s really that simple.
Then there’s veteran James Karinchak, who might be the most likely of the group to get an opportunity in the near future.
Not long ago, Karinchak was one of the nastier relievers in baseball for the Cleveland Guardians, posting a combined 2.65 ERA over 82 appearances between the 2022 and 2023 seasons. Shoulder injuries derailed much of the last two years, but he signed a minor-league deal with Atlanta this offseason and has quietly put together a strong start in Gwinnett, posting a 2.30 ERA with 10.9 strikeouts per nine innings across 15.2 frames.
The Braves really do have an embarrassment of riches when it comes to pitching depth right now — and they still aren’t close to fully healthy.
Competition for roster spots is only going to intensify as the season progresses, but it feels like a safe bet that at least one of these arms will end up playing a meaningful role for Atlanta at some point this year.
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Photo: Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire
