For the first time since the beginning of the 2016 season, the Atlanta Braves' Opening Day roster will not be shaped by Brian Snitker. New manager Walt Weiss will almost certainly get direction and advice from the rest of the coaching staff as well as the front office, but how the Braves look coming out of spring training will be the first major (publicly known) test of Weiss' tenure. With that certainly comes some pressure to get the Braves' roster decisions right from the get-go.
Thankfully, there isn't a lot to sort out in camp, at least for now. The lineup composition is pretty much set, it is just a question of how to line the guys up in any given matchup. The rotation is pretty settled unless Atlanta rallies late in the offseason and signs a starter. The bullpen is where probably the most uncertainty exists, but there is room for surprises up and down the Braves' roster.
Here is a look at our first projections for the Braves' 2026 Opening Day roster
This is a first pass and things can and will change as more information becomes available. There will be injury updates from the offseason that could turn things on their heads and there are some spots where it is very much "may the best man win" without a clear frontrunner at the moment. Let's get to the roster.
Projected Braves Lineup
RF Ronald Acuña Jr.
1B Matt Olson
3B Austin Riley
C Drake Baldwin
DH Jurickson Profar
2B Ozzie Albies
CF Michael Harris II
LF Mike Yastrzemski
SS Mauricio Dubon
Obviously the lineup would look significantly better if Ha-Seong Kim was in it, but he hurt himself in at a brutally bad time. For now, we're going to stick with our original Braves lineup prediction in the aftermath of Kim's injury. There are arguments for flip-flopping guys one spot up or down depending on match-ups, but the leadoff spot is where the most intrigue exists at the moment is at leadoff. The likely correct answer is using Acuña Jr. in the spot where he won MVP, but it is possible the Braves could prefer Olson there and there are already whispers that Profar could be the choice.
Atlanta really needs to hope that new addition Yastrzemski hits, because the bottom third of the lineup could end up being a wasteland, especially if Money Mike starts the season slow again.
Projected Braves Bench
C Chadwick Tromp
OF Eli White
INF Nacho Alvarez
INF Jorge Mateo
It sounds like Sean Murphy isn't going to be back until May at least, so Tromp gets the backup catcher spot with Drake Baldwin getting the bulk of the starts behind the plate while Murphy recovers from hip surgery. White is just one of those fun utility types to have on the bench who is also an excellent pinch-runner when needed.
There is some wisdom in carrying a fifth outfielder, but the Braves just signed Jorge Mateo and there is enough offensive upside in Nacho Alvarez to keep him around in case of emergencies especially with Austin Riley AND Ozzie Albies having recent injuries to think about.
Projected Braves Rotation
LHP Chris Sale
RHP Spencer Strider
RHP Spencer Schwellenbach
RHP Hurston Waldrep
RHP Reynaldo Lopez*
Sale, Strider, and Schwellenbach were etched in stone from the beginning, although we do still need to see Schwellenbach in action after breaking his elbow before anointing him. It just seems hard to believe that Atlanta wouldn't give Hurston Waldrep a shot on the Opening Day roster after how well he pitched when called upon last year.
That leaves the fifth starter spot where Reynaldo Lopez, Grant Holmes, and Bryce Elder could all compete for a spot this spring. For the moment, we give the edge to Lopez because Holmes was hurt more recently than Lopez and his recovery was the one that brought the most questions since he decided against surgery. It wouldn't be surprising whatsoever if the Braves managed Holmes' workload early by bringing him out of the bullpen to start with. Yes, this means, in this scenario, that the out-of-options Elder would basically be out of the organization (unless he gets through the waiver wire).
Projected Braves Bullpen
RHP Grant Holmes*
RHP Raisel Iglesias
RHP Robert Suarez
RHP Tyler Kinley
RHP Joel Payamps
LHP Dylan Lee
LHP Aaron Bummer
LHP Joey Wentz
We put Holmes in the bullpen for now without much confidence in that choice, but we will get a better idea as to where he is in his recovery in a couple weeks. Raisel Iglesias, Robert Suarez, and Tyler Kinley are mortal locks and Lee and Bummer as lefties are close, but not 100% guaranteed. That leaves a couple spots up for grabs.
The Braves seem to really like Payamps having brought him into the organization twice within the same three-month period, so he gets a spot for now. Wentz would be a nice inclusion as a third lefty who also can throw multiple innings or even spot start if need be. However, there are a bunch of arms being brought into camp that could compete for those last two spots and the final decision might come down to the wire.