Coming off what was a truly disappointing 2025 season, it is fair that a number of fans and experts alike have been wondering if the Atlanta Braves' window of contention was closing. Yes, there were a lot of injuries, but there were also players on both sides of the ball that regressed this past season and there are no guarantees that the Braves' injured players will bounce back to what they once were or better once they are healthy.
Most would agree that if Ronald Acuña Jr. plays a full season and Atlanta gets most of their guys back from the IL with minimal setbacks, they will be a good team even if "how good?" is something reasonable people can disagree on. There are still a lot of really good players on this Braves roster and assuming they are cooked because of a pair of injury-riddled seasons seems unwise.
You can count The Athletic's Jim Bowden among those that still believe that the Braves can rebound in 2026 and beyond. In Bowden's recent rankings of the non-playoff teams, he has Atlanta just behind the Astros at second overall when it comes to teams best positioned for success in 2026.
Jim Bowden likes the Braves' chances of bouncing back next season
Bowden acknowledged that injuries played a massive role in Atlanta's struggles this season and thinks that their offense has enough upside to make some noise next season. Acuña Jr., Matt Olson, Austin Riley, and Drake Baldwin got special mention in his pros column for the Braves.
However, even with the high ranking amongst the non-playoff teams, Bowden also acknowledged that the Braves have some important issues to work through this offseason. With the news that long-time manager Brian Snitker is retiring, the Braves are now faced with the challenge of replacing their manager, designated hitter, closer, multiple arms in the rotation and bullpen, and possibly shortstop. That is...a lengthy offseason to-do list.
Thankfully, the Braves put themselves in a decent position with all of the extensions they inked in previous years. Some of those that got those extensions, like Michael Harris II, Spencer Strider, and Riley, need to play better and stay on the field, but Atlanta does seem to still have a nice core to work with. It is on the front office now to give them the support they will need to get back on track in 2026.