The Atlanta Braves starting rotation has very different goals than we would have expected from the pitchers a few months ago. Rather than trying to give the Braves the best chance to win in a given night, the rotation's biggest goal is keeping arms healthy.
With Spencer Strider and Hurston Waldrep the only two starting pitchers currently in the rotation expected to provide meaningful innings for the Braves in 2026, Bryce Elder, Carlos Carrasco, Joey Wentz, and Erick Fedde's jobs are to eat as many innings as possible to keep the bullpen and other starters' arms fresh.
Unfortunately for Atlanta, that hasn't necessarily been the case.
Braves have to change rotation strategy given their inability to cover needed innings
Since the beginning of July, Braves starters not named Spencer Strider and Austin Cox (who was forced into an emergency start after the game in Bristol was suddenly delayed for over two hours) have averaged just 4.2 innings per start.
Of course, starters like Aaron Bummer, who was mainly used as an opener, and Dider Fuentes, who got hammered in his two starts, bring that average down, but only Hurston Waldrep in his one official start is averaging six or more innings.
This year, the average length of a starter is just a tick under 5.1 innings. Only Bryce Elder is surpassing this league average mark.
Ignoring the absurdly high ERAs from both veteran starters whose acquisitions were almost certainly to eat innings, Erick Fedde has only averaged five innings in his three starts, while Carlos Carrasco's poor two-inning start against the Mets brought him below this average.
To Joey Wentz's credit, the lefty has completed at least 5.1 innings in his last three starts, but the Braves sudden decision to ramp him back up as a starter left his first two starts with the Braves throwing less than five innings.
If the Braves are in fact serious about using a six-man rotation, they need to have their starters get through innings. If veterans like Carrasco and Fedde aren't able to work into the sixth inning, then they're forcing bullpen that needs to prioritize health over bullets into unncessary pitches.
If the veterans can't eat the innings, the Braves may as well let the young guns get a chance at the big league level.