With less than three weeks to go before Opening Day, some adjustments have been made to my Braves roster predictions thanks to a couple of massive developments. If you missed either of the first two versions, follow the links below.
Rotation
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At this point, the top four are locks to make the Opening Day roster. The top three always were, and Grant Holmes has been fantastic so far this spring. The Braves are very excited to see what he can do as a full-time starting pitcher.
The change here is I finally gave the nod to Ian Anderson, who tossed 3.1 scoreless innings last night. However, that line is a bit of fool’s gold. Anderson still hasn’t looked like a guy who belongs in the majors. He’s primarily a two-pitch guy, and that’s fine if you’re throwing 100 MPH, but Anderson is not. He’s sat around 92-93 MPH this spring, and on top of that, his control has been dismal.
If this were about taking the five best pitchers, there’s little chance Ian Anderson would win the job. But the Braves also have to consider that he’s out of options. They don’t want to lose that depth before the season even starts, especially with Spencer Strider still on the mend. Hesitantly, I’m penciling in Anderson for now, but I don’t feel confident about what he can provide the Braves at all.
Catcher
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Undoubtedly the biggest development so far this spring came earlier this week when it was announced that Sean Murphy will miss the early part of the season with a cracked rib after being hit with a 95 MPH fastball. Hopefully, it will only be a couple of weeks, but it clears a path for top prospect Drake Baldwin to begin the season in Atlanta. There is the possibility the Braves go with a veteran over Baldwin for a variety of reasons, but I think he’s shown enough — both in the minors and this spring — to earn a spot on the Braves Opening Day roster as Sean Murphy’s replacement.
Infielders
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Nothing changes here, with Nick Allen continuing to have a very productive spring.
Outfielders
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I also left the outfield untouched from my last version. Some might disagree with Eli White, but he’s a guy that plays great defense in the outfield and is a good baserunner. Combine that with the way he’s hitting the ball this spring, and there’s not another option more deserving of a spot on the Braves Opening Day roster.
Bullpen
- Raisel Iglesias
- Daysbel Hernandez
- Aaron Bummer
- Dylan Lee
- Pierce Johnson
- Angel Perdomo
- Hector Neris
- Buck Farmer
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Coming into Spring Training, the bullpen competition was wide open, and while it’s far from slammed shut with over a couple of weeks remaining, the picture has become clearer. I feel very confident now about the top six guys on this list. I also really like Buck Farmer’s odds of making the roster. The one small change I made was adding Hector Neris, who was recently picked up by the Braves. He’s yet to make an appearance this spring, but I think his experience and upside will give him a leg up on some of the other candidates.
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Photo: David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire
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