Braves weekly roundup: shortstop prospect Tate Southisene is hitting .261/.393/.391 in the Arizona Fall League after tightening his swing and approach, while Atlanta's hitting-coach question around Tim Hyers lingers. Olson also picked up another award. 🏆
Braves exited the NLDS vs. the Dodgers with rotation depth as the big question. MLB.com's Mark Bowman argues they may need two starters beyond Sale, Holmes and Elder, with Strider and Schwellenbach carrying injury uncertainty. Math: two arms, minimum. ⚾
Raisel Iglesias' Braves future could hinge on bullpen questions as much as money. Mark Bowman notes Robert Suarez's elbow remains a long-term concern, and Dylan Lee faded in the second half, so letting a proven closer walk carries real risk. 🔒
Braves' 2026 defense stole plenty of hits, and Michael Harris II owns the top spot: a sliding catch on Sept. 8 vs. Rays (.960 xBA), plus another in June. Jim Jarvis, Mauricio Dubón and Yaz also flashed leather. Gold-Glove energy. 🧤
Jonah Heim's Braves stint was brief: 12 starts, a .231/.311/.410 line, then DFA'd and traded to the Athletics once Sean Murphy returned. Murphy got hurt again a week later. The catching depth he covered was missed, though his season ended at -0.6 fWAR. 🧢
Historically, the Braves endured one of the worst playoff losses in baseball history against the Yankees in the World Series. It tops a long list of October heartbreaks, from the infield fly rule game to recent exits against the Dodgers and Phillies. 😬
Braves are out, but the World Series is still on. One writer watched Atlanta's two postseason series with half an eye, skipped the rest, and blames MLB.tv's playoff blackout hassle. Will Braves fans tune in for the final series?
Matt Olson is the first Brave honored this offseason, earning a Fielding Bible Award, his sixth. He's also a Gold Glove finalist. The glove keeps collecting hardware. 🧤 The 2026 player review series also moved on to Connor Thomas.
Braves history gets a geography lesson: a state-by-state list of the franchise's best players, led by Alabama's Hank Aaron (143.2 rWAR). Career WAR drove the picks, and Alaska comes up empty. 🗺️
The Friday Braves Mailbag tackles whether Atlanta should overhaul its training staff after years of injuries. Rotowire ranked the Braves' 2026 injury impact 12th of 30, so the case for change is murkier than it looks. 🩹
Braves alumni are in both dugouts for the 2026 World Series. William Contreras (.367/.457/.700 this postseason) leads Milwaukee, while Jorge Mateo, released by Atlanta this year, is a Rays pinch-runner and defensive sub. Rooting interests, complicated. 🔄
Matt Olson won his sixth Fielding Bible Award at first base, edging the Padres' Ty France in a tight race. That passes Albert Pujols for most at the position and ties him for second all-time. He led first basemen with 12 outs above average. 🧤
Matt Olson won his sixth Fielding Bible Award at first base, narrowly edging the Padres' Ty France. He passes Albert Pujols for the most at the position and sits behind only Mookie Betts' seven overall. Gold-standard glove work. 🧤
Braves hitters got robbed by expected-batting-average standards in 2026. Jim Jarvis' July 5 line out vs. the Mets (.971 xBA) tops the list, while Michael Harris II and Ronald Acuña Jr. each appear three times. Quietly unfair. 😬
Connor Thomas' Braves stint was brief and ugly: 6 1/3 innings over two outings, capped by 11 runs on 78 pitches against the Mets on July 27. The Athletics claimed him on waivers, and he found his footing with the Royals (2.33 ERA). 😬
Braves' 2026 offense ranked 20th in wRC+ (97) despite top-7 homer power, while the Brewers and Rays won on the bases. Atlanta's baserunning ranked 21st and its sprint speed 29th, so Anthopoulos may have a tricky offseason. 🐢
Braves could reportedly chase Dodgers free-agent lefty Alex Vesia, a speculative fit. He's averaged a 2.45 ERA over three seasons, and lefties hit .138 against him in 2026. He'd ease Dylan Lee's workload, and poaching him would sting LA. 🎯
Gavin Williams liked an Instagram comment joking he's "coming to ATL," but a Braves move looks like a long shot. The Guardians righty is under team control through 2029 and posted a 3.76 ERA this year. Social media chatter, not a trade rumor. 😏
The Braves could dream big at shortstop: a speculative trade idea has them chasing Reds star Elly De La Cruz, with Ha-Seong Kim and Mauricio Dubon headed to free agency. Cost would be massive, and his control runs only through 2029. 🌠
Braves offseason starts with Chris Sale's 196 ERA+, a mark only Maddux and Reynaldo López have topped in a Braves season (min. 25 starts). The question: rebuild rotation depth so extra rest works again in 2027, with Schwellenbach, Strider and López all uncertain. 🔍
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