While the Atlanta Braves are known to have one of the best rosters in baseball each year, they have often been overshadowed by one of their NL rivals. No matter what the Braves do in the offseason, the media seems to default to the Los Angeles Dodgers as the team to beat.
That has only been emboldened this offseason as the Dodgers have added to their roster and created a super team. The opposite end of this is the Braves haven't added nearly as many "impact" moves outside of signing Jurickson Profar. Rather, Atlanta has added more depth and that is a smart decision with how the 2024 season went. You never know when you need to access that depth.
However, there are a couple of areas where the Dodgers are significantly better than the Braves. There are practically zero holes on LA's roster while Atlanta has a couple of weak spots to address. We will examine how each team stacks up against one another ahead of the 2025 season.
Here's how the Braves and Dodgers stack up against one another
LA has continued their heavy spending this offseason and is by far the best team on paper in the National League. Their major additions include Blake Snell, Blake Treinen, Hyeseong Kim, Teoscar Hernandez, Michael Conforto, Roki Sasaki, Kirby Yates, and Tanner Scott.
The Dodgers now have one of the deepest rosters in the game. There are hardly any holes in the lineup, the rotation is deep, and so is the bullpen. Below is the projected lineup for the Dodgers on opening day:
Lineup | Player | Position |
---|---|---|
1 | Shohei Ohtani | DH |
2 | Mookie Betts | SS |
3 | Freddie Freeman | 1B |
4 | Teoscar Hernandez | RF |
5 | Max Muncy | 3B |
6 | Will Smith | C |
7 | Michael Conforto | LF |
8 | Hyeseong Kim | 2B |
9 | Tommy Edman | CF |
That is an incredibly deep lineup and will be tough for opposing rotations to navigate. As for the rotation, they have a talented core and will consist of Blake Snell, Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, and Roki Sasaki. However, Ohtani may not be ready to return to the mound by opening day so Tony Gonsolin or Dustin May could get an opportunity to start until he is ready. Clayton Kershaw is still a free agent but many expect he will return to the Dodgers. Even without Ohtani, they have a tough rotation.
Bullpen-wise, the Dodgers are well-balanced with Michael Kopech, Blake Treinen, Tanner Scott, Alex Vesia, Brusdar Graterol, Anthony Banda, Kirby Yates, and Ryan Brasier.
While that makes it feel like the Braves are far behind, let's examine how Atlanta will stack up against the Dodgers. Below is a projected opening day lineup for the Braves:
Batting order | Player | Position |
---|---|---|
1 | Michael Harris II | CF |
2 | Jurickson Profar | LF |
3 | Austin Riley | 3B |
4 | Matt Olson | 1B |
5 | Marcell Ozuna | DH |
6 | Ozzie Albies | 2B |
7 | Jarred Kelenic | RF |
8 | Sean Murphy | C |
9 | Orlando Arcia | SS |
This is still a very good and potent lineup for opponents to face. The lineup will only improve once Ronald Acuna Jr. returns in May or June. Underperformance in 2024 may cloud some minds as to which lineup is better but they are fairly equal. Atlanta's new hitting coach Tim Hyers will be tasked with making sure the lineup returns to form.
Atlanta's rotation will begin the season with Chris Sale, Reynaldo Lopez, and Spencer Schwellenbach as the top three. However, the final two rotation spots remain a bit unclear. Grant Holmes will likely be given a chance to start since he impressed during his opportunities in the role last season.
Braves insider Mark Bowman projected Atlanta may give Ian Anderson the fifth spot in the rotation until Spencer Strider can return. The team could add an external option ahead of spring training, but LA currently has an edge rotation-wise.
The Braves featured the third-best bullpen in baseball last season with a collective 3.32 ERA. It was one of their biggest strengths. However, they will be without a couple of big pieces this season. A.J. Minter signed with the Mets and Joe Jimenez will likely miss the entire season due to injury.
Here's a potential bullpen lineup for the Braves this season: Raisel Iglesias, Pierce Johnson, Dylan Lee, Aaron Bummer, Daysbel Hernández, Anderson Pilar, Angel Perdomo, and Ian Anderson/Grant Holmes. Anderson and Holmes have been mentioned as a starting option until Strider returns but Hurston Waldrep could get a chance to start so one of those two can fill a long relief role.
The Dodgers have the edge when it comes to pitching. There is still time for Atlanta to improve but as we reach the preseason, it's clear which team is better on paper. However, being the best team on paper doesn't always mean it will translate on the field. Hopefully, the Braves can prove that and remain one of the best teams in baseball.