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Braves' announcement of non-roster invitees to spring training lacks imagination

Where are all the bizarre names we have heard in years?
Eric Cole
Eric Cole

House That Hank Built

Oct 1, 2023; Seattle, Washington, USA; Texas Rangers relief pitcher Martin Perez (54) reacts after getting the final out of the seventh inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images / Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

In some previous years, the Atlanta Braves have put out a list of non-roster invitees to spring training that seemed to continue some bizarrely intriguing names. One famous example is when fans were greeted to seeing Tyler Matzek's name in Braves camp and, well, you all know the rest. Usually, NRIs don't move the needle much, but it is nice to see some unknowns thrown in just to see what they can do.

Unfortunately, the Braves' announcement of their non-roster invitees for 2026 isn't quite as exciting. There are certainly some veterans who could see real playing time this coming season, and there are a number of prospects to monitor in camp, but there were no real surprises this time.

Braves announce non-roster invites to spring training, which include promising prospects and safe veterans

Starting on the prospect side, there are some really fun names for fans to follow this spring. JR Ritchie has a realistic shot of making the rotation right out of camp, though the signals coming out at the moment are that the rotation picture is already getting crowded. Garrett Baumann, Owen Murphy, Alex Lodise, and John Gil are all also worth some attention, especially Lodise, who could end up getting fast-tracked to the majors as a college shortstop if he plays well.

After that, things start getting a bit more speculative. Martin Perez has been around forever and doesn't often implode, but his stuff is very much in decline, and he feels like a "break glass in case of emergency" rotation option (or at least he should be). Sandy Leon is making his annual appearance in Braves camp as he has turned into the backup-backup catcher version of Jesse Chavez. The odds are low, but keep an eye on James Karinchak in the bullpen competition. His career kind of imploded, but Karinchak also had some of the nastiest stuff in baseball for a time with the Guardians.

All of this underscores the fact that most of the true competitions in Braves camp in 2026 are going to come from guys that are already in the fold on the 40-man. That might not be as fun as having a guy come out of nowhere (which could still happen!), but it still makes for a fascinating spring training to watch.

Eric Cole

Eric Cole

I started my career writing about baseball covering the Atlanta Braves for SB Nation's Talking Chop back in 2015 which has since been renamed Battery Power. After years of writing for those fine folks, I made the decision to take over as Site Expert at House That Hank Built before becoming a full-time MLB Staff Writer for FanSided in 2023. Along the way, I have been a guest on multiple ESPN radio affiliates as well as 680 The Fan and 92.9 The Game to discuss Braves baseball and especially Braves prospects and was a long-time host on the Battery Power podcast. These days, I continue to write about the Braves as well as covering the Astros, Padres, and Angels with particular expertise with minor league coverage, the MLB Draft, and bashing Anthony Rendon when possible. When I am not writing about or talking about baseball (which is seldom), I am an avid baseball card collector (Maddux and Soroka being my primary personal collections) and I also collect shark teeth. All other sports are mostly dead to me as my Bills have broken my heart too many times.