This Opening Day, there are plenty of easy reasons to be skeptical of the Atlanta Braves, and that is unfortunate. The lineup is without shortstop Ha-Seong Kim and catcher/DH Sean Murphy until May, and the pitching staff has already been ravaged by injuries. For some fans, it feels like history repeating itself, and the "same old Braves" with all of the injuries and optimism is low. However, there are still plenty of reasons to tune in when Chris Sale takes on Cole Ragans and the Royals on Opening Day and beyond.
Everyone likes to say that teams start the season with a blank slate and that is partially true. Just because something happened last year does not mean it is inevitably going to happen in 2026. However, even if you look at how the 2025 season went down (or even further back than that), there is a lot to be hopeful for from this most current iteration of the Braves.
While the depth has taken a hit, the Braves' rotation has a real chance to exceed expectations
Yes, the Braves are without Spencer Schwellenbach, Hurston Waldrep, and Spencer Strider to start the season. It is also true that Reynaldo Lopez's velocity is down coming out of camp. These are legitimate concerns and should not be overlooked.
However, would anyone be actually surprised if Chris Sale, despite his age, is a true Cy Young contender in 2026? Grant Holmes looked great this spring, and Atlanta still has Didier Fuentes waiting for an opportunity in the rotation and JR Ritchie lurking in the minor leagues. Reports currently are that Strider's injury shouldn't keep him out for long. At some point, every pitching staff comes with real risk, and you can't plan for every contingency. For a team that has already been through the wringer, the Braves honestly look in pretty decent shape. Just don't expect much from Bryce Elder.
The Braves' lineup is filled with former All-Stars
Given all the injuries the last couple of years, it is easy to forget that this roster was widely considered to be one of the most talented in all of baseball. Ronald Acuña Jr. still gets brought up a lot, but Austin Riley, Matt Olson, and Ozzie Albies all have multiple ASG appearances and that doesn't even account for rising star Drake Baldwin, former Rookie of the Year Michael Harris II, and surprise spring standout Mike Yastrzemski.
The talent is absolutely there. Anyone who suggests otherwise is lying. While predicting everyone to return to form (Albies is becoming harder and harder to defend, for example), Atlanta only needs some of these guys to be healthy and good to be a formidable offense. If everything clicks, they might be the best lineup in baseball, and we have seen that happen before.
The Braves' bullpen appears to be an area of strength
Amidst all of the chaos this spring, it feels like many fans forget that the Braves signed one of the best 1-2 punches in terms of bullpen arms in the entire league. Raisel Iglesias had a terrible first half last year, but the rest of his tenure with the Braves had him as one of the league's best closers. Backing him up this year is Robert Suarez, who was one of the most in-demand relievers on the free agent market. If Iglesias falters at all, Suarez is right there waiting.
The good news doesn't end there. Atlanta also brought back Tyler Kinley who was very good after being acquired at the 2025 trade deadline. Aaron Bummer is probably better than his surface numbers suggest and Fuentes as well as Joel Payamps could be breakout candidates this season. Even anyone falters, James Karinchak is waiting in the wings at Triple-A for a chance after a strong showing this spring.
Will everything go right for the Braves in 2026? Absolutely not. Hell, things have already gone off the rails in a number of ways. However, that doesn't mean fans should write off 2026 already. In fact, there are plenty of reasons to think that this season could be a lot of fun.