The Atlanta Braves don't have a lot of real roster competitions going on this spring. The lineup is pretty much locked in as is most of the pitching staff. The bullpen is always going to have some flexibility as to who gets carried, but the reality is that the key guys are locked in and the rest are going to be lottery tickets with some consideration given to having minor league options. However, the last spot in the rotation is a spot that seems up for grabs with Spencer Strider still recovering.
Coming into camp, Ian Anderson and Grant Holmes were heavy favorites to be starting for the Braves early in the 2025 season. Both guys have big league experience, importantly do not have any minor league options left, and have real upside. However, things got interesting in a hurry as not only did Anderson struggle in his first spring start, but AJ Smith-Shawver excelled in his which firmly threw his hat into the ring.
Fortunately for Anderson, his spring appearance on Friday went significantly better as not only was his velocity near or at how hard he was throwing before he got hurt, but he also gave the Braves three scoreless innings.
Ian Anderson’s four-seamer averaged 93.6 mph and touched 94.9 mph over two scoreless innings today. That’s a good sign in February. His four-seamer averaged 94.6 mph in 2021, his most recent healthy season
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) February 28, 2025
Ian Anderson rebounds nicely in latest spring training start for the Braves
Again, same small sample size warnings as usual here. Just as his first tough appearance this spring was just one game, so is this admittedly much better one. However, that Anderson's velocity is where it is at this point in the spring AND opposing hitters couldn't do anything against him for three innings is a great development even if it was just the Marlins. Of note, Holmes also pitched on Friday and also looked good as he and Anderson combined for six no-hit innings.
As things stand, it looks like both Anderson and Smith-Shawver have made the strongest cases for inclusion on the Opening Day roster. AJSS has the added benefit of still having a minor league option left to give the Braves some flexibility if they need to call someone up for whatever reason. However, Anderson is a guy that has pitched in some huge games for the Braves and deserves a long look.
There is still a long ways to go in spring training, though. What needs to happen next is to see how all of these guys look when facing a lineup a second time through. If Anderson can keep racking up outs after hitters have already seen him once, he will be a frontrunner to return to the big leagues. If not, it could be anyone's spot to take.