Fans of the Atlanta Braves are allowed to dream a little here — because Bleacher Report just sketched out the kind of Opening Day rotation that feels too clean to be real… especially for a fanbase that wants one more move before spring training begins.
Joel Reuter’s projection basically lands on Atlanta’s best-case script. You get the high-end ceiling arms, and you sneak in a stabilizer so the whole thing doesn’t turn into a monthly ‘bullpen game’ support group. Here’s the predicted Opening Day rotation he laid out:
- LHP Chris Sale
- RHP Spencer Schwellenbach
- RHP Spencer Strider
- RHP Lucas Giolito
- RHP Hurston Waldrep
Reuter also has AJ Smith-Shawver beginning the year on the injured list.
Braves’ restless fanbase will latch onto this Opening Day rotation projection fast
The real thesis underneath this projection is simple. The Braves don’t need to “win” the rotation market — they need to reduce the number of things that can go wrong at once. Reuter notes Atlanta being linked to either Lucas Giolito or Chris Bassitt as the veteran add, and the reason that matters is the workload. Having someone who can take the ball, eat innings, and stop the early season from becoming a constant scramble for five decent frames.
He even frames the price point around two years, $40 million for that type of arm — which tells you this is being treated as a structural move.
FIRST major league strikeout for Hurston Waldrep!#BravesCountry pic.twitter.com/xfa4c86WMF
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) June 9, 2024
The best part is that this setup still lets Atlanta do what it wants to do anyway: run Waldrep out there. If Waldrep pops, you’ve got a problem in the best way. If he’s rocky, you’re not setting your season on fire just to force a development timeline.
There’s also a second layer of options in Grant Holmes, Reynaldo López, Joey Wentz, Didier Fuentes, and Bryce Elder, which is exactly why the veteran add matters. Those guys look a lot better as depth than as a plan. Still, after an injury-marred 2025, the Braves heading into 2026 with this many usable arms is its own kind of win.
Dream outcome is still the right phrasing. Not because it’s perfect. But it’s protected. That’s how contenders build rotations now. Assume chaos is coming, and make it someone else’s problem.