The Atlanta Braves regular season is just days away and before every season begins, fans are thinking of things they might experience. Will the Braves win the World Series? Who will be in the MVP conversation? How many batters with a certain pitcher strikeout?
These are all questions worth pondering. While predictions for certain outcomes may not be 100% accurate, it's still fun to consider them. Below are a few bold predictions for the 2025 season.
3 bold predictions for the Atlanta Braves heading into 2024
Austin Riley wins his first Gold Glove
Riley has already proven himself as one of baseball's most talented hitters. He struggled a bit in his first two big league seasons but once he made necessary adjustments, that changed quickly. He is now a two-time All-Star and Silver Slugger winner.
As long as he's healthy, Atlanta's third baseman is guaranteed to slug 20+ doubles, 30+ homers, and 90+ RBI each season. However, he's long mentioned that his main goal is to win a Gold Glove at some point. Riley has worked on improving his defense each season and it feels like he could put that all together this year.
His defensive metrics aren't very impressive when it comes to range as his OAA has only been positive once and that was in 2023. However, his DRS numbers have been pretty good since 2021. A lot of people don't like to use the eye test anymore but you can watch Riley and see the value he brings defensively. He will have to be at his very best this season if he hopes to reach his desired goal.
Spencer Schwellenbach will take home NL Cy Young honors
Schwellenbach burst onto the scene in 2024 and surprised everyone with his strike-throwing ability. It was a truly historic season. Not only that, but he also looked like a veteran with his poise on the mound. The former Nebraska product posted a 3.35 ERA over 21 starts (123.2 IP) last season with 23 walks and 127 strikeouts.
He showed his potential to compete for a Cy Young Award and that's thanks to his impressive pitch mix. Six different pitches are hard for any MLB hitter to prepare for. Schwellenbach isn't one to give in and isn't afraid to challenge hitters. If anyone can win a Cy Young Award in their sophomore season, it's him.
Michael Harris will join the 30/30 club
Believe it or not, Harris is entering his fourth MLB season. He earned NL Rookie of the Year over Spencer Strider in 2022 and has improved each season. Harris is mostly known across the league for elite defense, but he batted above .290 with 18 or 19 homers and 20 stolen bases in his first two MLB seasons. Last year was a bit of a down year which was also interrupted by injuries.
This will be the season he puts it all together and earns NL MVP votes. As long as he can stay healthy, there's no reason Harris shouldn't steal 30 bases and slug 30 home runs.