Believe it or not, the Atlanta Braves only have a month left in the 2026 season. Although there's still a fight to be had for the division, FanGraphs has their playoff odds at 95.5%, meaning it's almost a certainty they're in for at least a three-game series at the end of September.
One of the biggest question marks this season has been the Braves starting rotation. While Alex Anthopoulos likely didn't do enough at the deadline to quell the fears surrounding the rotation at the deadline, his one pitching acquisition has looked like a steal.
With just a month left in the season, Atlanta should get creative when lining up their starting rotation for the playoffs.
Here's how the Braves should line up their starting staff for the playoffs
Chris Sale, the ace of the Braves and one of the best pitchers in the majors is the obvious choice to start the first game of whichever playoff series they're in. The lefty is fifth in fWAR and third in ERA among qualified pitchers. Simply put, there's no need to get cute with it.
After Sale, however, the Braves have to make some tough decisions. If the Braves have to play in the NL Wild Card Series, which they're certainly on track to play in regardless of whether they take the NL East or not, they'll only need three starting pitchers.
Trade deadline acquisition is quickly becoming the answer to start Game 2 of a series. Since joining the Braves, Mahle has allowed just four runs in 23.2 innings, good for a 1.52 ERA. While his 3.00 FIP is nearly double his ERA, his strikeout to walk ratio should make the Braves confident about using him for the second game of a series.
In Game 3, the Braves will have Bryce Elder, Martín Pérez, Grant Holmes, and AJ Smith-Shawver to choose from, and the best solution will likely be to piggyback two of them.
Smith-Shawver has the most electric stuff of the group, throwing a 96 MPH fastball with breaking pitches that can illicit chases. However, he's shown that he can run out of gas quickly. Last season, he only completed six innings in. two of his nine starts. This season, he's lasted just 4.1 innings in both of his starts.
Right now, the Braves would be most likely to face the DBacks or Padres, and neither team is a lefty-heavy team. However, if they lineup against the Phillies or Cubs, two teams with several lefties at the top of their lineup, using Pérez as an opener in Game 3 and turning things over to Smith-Shawver in the second or third inning.
If the Braves aren't matching up against the lefty-heavy top of the order, their best course of action will likely be letting Smith-Shawver get the start, and then keeping him on an exceptionally short leash.
After a three-game series, or if Atlanta gets the bye, the Braves will likely need to have four starters. If Smith-Shawver is paired off with Pérez, then the Braves will likely go with Bryce Elder as their fourth starter. However, like Smith-Shawver, Elder will also need to have a quick hook.
The Braves rotation, as it stands right now, might not have the one-two punch that other playoff teams have, but if the team gets creative, there should be no doubt they can make a long playoff push.
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