Players fans won't believe were on the Atlanta Braves opening day roster since 2018

Making the Opening Day roster can be a big honor for baseball players, but sometimes, fans forget they were ever on the roster as the years go by.

Atlanta Braves v Philadelphia Phillies
Atlanta Braves v Philadelphia Phillies | G Fiume/GettyImages
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2021

Alex Jackson (again)

The eventual World Series champions had seven catchers in 2021. While William Contreras saw the second-most games at the position, behind d'Arnaud, it was Alex Jackson who opened the season as the backup.

He played 10 games with the Braves before getting injured in Toronto... I mean Dunedin. He then injured his pinky on a rehab assignment and never played for the Braves again. He was traded at the end of July for Adam Duvall, which ended up being a very good trade.

Nate Jones

Coincidentally enough, Nate Jones' final game with the Braves was on the same day as Alex Jackson's. Jones pitched 10 innings for the Braves in 2021 and had a 3.48 ERA, but his 8.78 FIP showed reason for the Braves to move on.

2022

Spencer Strider, Luke Jackson
Cincinnati Reds v Atlanta Braves | Adam Hagy/GettyImages

Tucker Davidson

Tucker Davidson made the 26-man roster out of Spring Training but only appeared in one game before being sent down. He struggled in one April game, allowing five runs in 2.2. innings. He'd pitch in three more games with the Braves in May and was traded along with Jesse Chavez for Raisel Iglesias.
While he didn't spend long on the Braves roster, he stayed just long enough to get his World Series ring during the Braves' home opening weekend.

Sean Newcomb

Sean Newcomb also made the 2022 Braves Opening Day roster and pitched three games for the team. He allowed four runs in his five innings pitched. He also has something in common with Tucker Davidson. He was involved in a trade for Jesse Chavez.

On April 20, the Braves decided they wanted the beloved Braves reliever back for the third (but certainly not the last) time and traded Sean Newcomb for him. Newcomb, like Davidson, wasn't on the roster long but did get to get his World Series ring during the ceremony.

Manny Piña

What is it with fringe catchers who make the Opening Day roster and have short stays with the Braves? Going into 2022, Atlanta expected Manny Piña, who they signed to a two-year deal that offseason, to be their backup catcher.

Unfortunately for Piña, he suffered a wrist injury in late April and never appeared in a game for the team again. In the 2023 offseason, he was part of the package that brought All-Star catcher Sean Murphy to Atlanta.

2023

Ehire Adrianza

Adrianza's first stint with the Braves was far more notable than his second. In 2021, he had 209 PAs. In 2022 and 2023 with the Braves, he had 17.

In 2023, Adrianza didn't even appear in a game until April 9, the 10th game of the year. He then got three plate appearances three days later when Orlando Arcia got hit on the wrist. The switch-hitter only got into three more games, with his last coming on May 1. He then went on the IL with "right elbow inflammation" and was never seen again.

Jared Shuster

A first-round pick in 2020, Shuster was on the Braves 40-man roster and made the club out of Spring Training over Bryce Elder. He was given two starts, allowed eight runs in 8.2 innings, and was sent to the minors.

Over the next four months, the lefty found himself on the Gwinnett shuttle, lost his number twice, and finished the season with a 5.81 ERA. After the season, he was part of the massive deal that brought Aaron Bummer to the Braves.

Did any of these names surprise you? It's wild to see how quickly a roster can change and how soon some players can be forgotten. We could look back on the 2024 roster years down the road and be surprised by a name on the roster.

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