Projecting the Opening Day roster became easier when the Atlanta Braves revealed on Tuesday that Ronald Acuña Jr.’s knee, the reigning National League MVP, just had meniscus irritation, according to a second assessment.
It is expected that Acuña will gradually increase his baseball activities and be ready for Opening Day, thus adding another outfielder via trade, free agency, or waiver claim in the next few weeks is not necessary. It’s more luxury than need, but it’s not like the Braves wouldn’t consider doing so if they discover a deal they like.
Because even though the Braves would have been fine opening the season with Forrest Wall as a fourth outfielder and Martinez’s defensive prowess and strong minor-league stats, they might not have felt comfortable starting Wall or Martinez in a starting role given their inexperience.
When the season starts, right fielder Acuña, center fielder Michael Harris II, and rookie left fielder Jarred Kelenic are anticipated to play in almost every game, provided they remain healthy.
If Kelenic, the former top prospect for the Seattle Mariners, suffers for a long time, that might change. However, the Braves intend to exercise patience by giving Kelenic consistent at-bats against lefties and righties so that he won’t have to worry about being benched.
If the Braves decide to give Kelenic, Harris, or Acuña an occasional day off, it should boost their confidence because Wall has improved since last season, particularly at the plate.
After undergoing surgery in 2021 to repair a torn ACL, Acuña’s right knee did not present any issues in 2023 as he played 159 games and led the NL in plate appearances (735) and stolen bases (73). However, given his stiffness during a rundown on Thursday, the Braves may decide to explore giving him a day off periodically throughout the season to help him recover from any potential exhaustion from his all-out, aggressive play.
Regarding the remainder of the roster, The Athletic projects the following for the regular-season start at Philadelphia on March 28:
Spencer Strider, Max Fried, Chris Sale, Charlie Morton, and Reynaldo Lopez are the starting five pitchers.
The Braves rotation, which may be among the finest and deepest in the majors, is off to an extremely positive start to spring training. That is, if rookie Sale can maintain his health following four seasons marred by injuries and if Morton, who is forty years old, can, in Sale’s words, “keep drinking from the fountain of youth.”
In his first full season as a starter, Strider leads the Major League in strikeouts with 97–99 mph fastballs and deadly sliders. Over the winter, he added a curveball to his repertoire and has shown command of the weapon.
Entering his free-agent walk year, Fried is driven to help the Braves forget about the disappointment of losing in the first round of the playoffs two seasons in a row. In 2023, he made 14 starts due to injuries, but he finished with an incredible 8-1 record and 2.55 ERA.
A pitcher that both of them have long admired joins the Braves’ other aces. Sale, a former MLB innings and strikeout leader and seven-time All-Star, placed in the top five in the AL. Before Tommy John surgery and additional injuries restricted him to just 31 starts in the last four years, he was a six-time Cy Young ballot winner. Sale, 34, is in good health and has won both of his spring starts.
Morton can’t continue to play at this level indefinitely, but prior to missing the NL Division Series due to a finger ligament injury last season, his stuff and strikeout rate (10.1 per nine innings) were still much above average. A team has significant high-quality depth when it can start Morton and flamethrower Reynaldo Lopez late in the lineup.
The Braves can shift rookie López to a relief position if they determine that he could be more useful to them in the bullpen, where he has excelled most recently. Then, they could add Hurston Waldrep, a first-round selection in the previous draft, or AJ Smith-Shawver, their top prospect, though Waldrep might gain from having more upper-minors experience early in the season.
Bryce Elder, an All-Star who faltered in the second half of his first complete season in the MLB rotation, is another option the Braves may consider. Following the All-Star break, Ian Anderson, who underwent Tommy John surgery in April 2023, is anticipated to be fully recovered.
The bottom line is that this team has a lot more starting depth than the Braves have had recently, and nearly every other major league team can say the same.
Relief pitchers: A.J. Minter, Aaron Bummer, Tyler Matzek, Pierce Johnson, Joe Jiménez, Ken Giles, and Jackson Stephens; closer Raisel Iglesias
Alex Anthopoulos, the president of baseball operations and general manager of the Braves, set out to assemble a bullpen full of dominant arms during the winter. If its core players can maintain a reasonable level of health, this could be the deepest bullpen in team history.
The return of Ken Giles, the former Phillies and Houston Astros closer who could throw a fastball at 100 mph, has been a major topic in camp. He now possesses a wipeout slider that could more than make up for his fastball’s 4–5 mph decline. Giles, who overcame depression and injuries to play in just nine Major League games over four seasons, has been an inspiration to his fellow Braves this spring, especially the older ones who remember him as a pure heat-seeking machine.
With so many veteran relievers on the roster (Giles is not invited to camp), the Braves have minor-league options that allow them to send established or promising relievers, such as lefties Ray Kerr and Dylan Lee and righty Daysbel Hernández, to Triple A to begin the season. All seem certain to help the major league team at some point.
Catchers (2): Sean Murphy and Travis d’Arnaud
Murphy was chosen for the 2023 NL All-Star team during his rookie season with the Braves, after d’Arnaud’s 2022 NL All-Star performance.
Matt Olson, 2B Ozzie Albies, 3B Austin Riley, and SS are the five infielders. Orlando Arcia, a guy of utility Guillorme Luis
Along with teammates Acuña and DH Marcell Ozuna, the complete Braves infield was selected for the 2023 All-Star team. Olson, Riley, and Albies were among the top 13 hitters in the NL in terms of both home runs and OPS. Riley and Albies combined for 70 home runs and 206 RBIs, leading the majors in Olson’s 54 home runs and 139 RBIs—both franchise records.
Four outfielders: LF CF Jared Kelenic Michael Harris II, the Reserve Acuña Jr., Ronald; backup for Forrest Wall
In the unlikely event that the Braves need to call up Martinez to the majors to replace an outfielder who must spend time on the injured list, Martinez is anticipated to start the season at Triple A.
But given Wall’s impressive spring performance—hitting for power and average while playing solid defense—the Braves may give him a look if one outfielder needs a few days off due to an ailment that won’t need a trip to the injured list. Wall may potentially establish himself as more than just a backup outfielder and pinch runner if he can maintain his early-spring form.
Marcell Ozuna (DH 1)
Ozuna had a terrible April before heating up in May and continuing to do so almost nonstop, finishing with 40 home runs, 100 RBIs, and a.904 OPS.
Luke Williams and Eli White are outfielders, but David Fletcher, a utility infielder, is in first place.
They don’t need Williams or White in pinch-running scenarios because Wall is already fast. However, Wall’s spring performance suggests that the winter training he performed with the Braves organization’s hitting coaches is paying off, and he appears to be moving away from being thought of primarily as a pinch runner.
Fletcher has shown promise in the early spring games as well. He was acquired from the Los Angeles Angels and arrived at Braves camp in good health, having missed the previous three seasons due to injuries, including a sports hernia. The Braves might want to keep him on their MLB bench in the improbable event that a couple of infielders get hurt in a game because they owe him $14 million over two seasons and $6 million this season, regardless of whether he plays in Triple A or the majors.
Given that their projected outfielders lack infield expertise (though Ozuna can play first base), the Braves may need to rely on Fletcher and Guillorme to get through a game in that situation. In the event that a starting infielder misses two or more games, Snitker may also favor a few utility players.
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