The Braves are now up 13.5 games in the division. The only question remaining for this regular season is whether they will be the #1 or #2 seed in the National League. With the Dodgers’ recent hot stretch, they’ve closed the gap considerably, but they still sit four games back of the Braves. The two teams will meet for a four-game set to begin September, which will go a long way in determining the top seed in the NL.
For the second consecutive season, the Braves are poised to have a first-round bye, penciling them into the NLDS where they could face a number of teams. Playoff baseball is around the corner, but before we get there, there will be a lot of difficult decisions for Alex Anthopoulos to make regarding the Braves roster, particularly the pitching staff.
Starting Rotation
The NLDS schedule is very odd. There’s a day off in between Games 1 and 2, which means the Braves could technically only carry three starters in the opening round. However, I still have them carrying four. If they did roll with three, Elder would be the one waiting for the NLCS, but it will also be worth monitoring the health of Kyle Wright. I still think it will be too late for him to come back and have a significant impact in the NLDS, but the NLCS could be a different story.
Bullpen
- Raisel Iglesias
- A.J. Minter
- Joe Jimenez
- Pierce Johnson
- Kirby Yates
- Michael Tonkin
- Dylan Lee
- Collin McHugh
- Jesse Chavez
This is where the difficult decisions will be made. Health will also determine a lot of these moves, but I’m going to assume Dylan Lee and Jesse Chavez return. Nick Anderson could also potentially come back, which would make it even more of a logjam. In my eyes, the top six guys here are locks. Dylan Lee’s spot should also be safe as long as he can come back healthy.
Collin McHugh hasn’t been great, but he’s still a veteran with loads of postseason experience. He’ll have to earn his spot, but for now, I’ve included him. The two notable dames I left off are Brad Hand and Nick Anderson; the latter being for health reasons. However, I could see them both on the Braves postseason roster come October. It’s going to be a wild final six weeks for this group.
Catchers
Nothing to see here.
Infielders
There’s not much discussion here either. I thought there was an outside chance for Vaughn Grissom to sneak on this roster, but with the way they’ve gone with Nicky Lopez at second base since Ozzie Albies’ injury, I don’t see that as a realistic possibility.
Outfielders
- Ronald Acuña Jr.
- Eddie Rosario
- Michael Harris II
- Marcell Ozuna
- Kevin Pillar
- Forrest Wall
I stuck with the same outfield as I had last time. The first five on this list are locks, and while the Braves did just option Wall back to Gwinnett, he could make the playoff roster because of his speed. If the Braves need a stolen base in a pinch, there aren’t many better options than Wall.
—
Photo: David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire
You must log in to post a comment.