With Spencer Strider out, the Braves Opening Day rotation will feature two new faces, and there are now clear-cut leaders in the clubhouse after Friday’s performance against the Marlins.
2021 postseason hero Ian Anderson got the start after a shaky first Spring Training outing and bounced back in a big way, tossing three scoreless innings, allowing no hits and a couple free passes. The control is still not quite where it needs to be for him to be as successful as he was a few years ago, but we’re still a month away from the season, and Anderson’s improving velocity compared to his first start was a massive step in the right direction, topping out at 94.9 miles per hour. Given that he’s out of options, the Braves are going to give him the first crack to start the season as long as he looks like a somewhat competent option, hoping he can rekindle the magic that made him a rising star a few years back.
Following Ian Anderson was Grant Holmes, who might have looked even better. He also tossed three scoreless innings with no hits allowed and a couple of walks, but he struck out three batters compared to Anderson’s zero. Holmes’ stuff was evident from the moment he made his MLB debut last season with the Braves. So much so, that it’s a wonder how it took him a decade in the minors to finally break through after being selected in the first round of the 2014 MLB Draft. Both Alex Anthopoulos and Brian Snitker have spoken very highly of Holmes as he makes this transition to a full-time starting pitcher. I don’t think it’s too early to pencil his name in as a lock for the Opening Day roster.
Beyond Ian Anderson and Holmes, the star of the day was Braves top prospect Drake Baldwin, who went 3-for-4 on the day. The sample size might be minuscule, but he’s sporting a .586 on-base percentage this spring, showing off all the tools that led to FanGraphs ranking him the 11th best prospect in all of baseball entering the 2025 season.
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Photo: Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire
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