And then 2025 happened. All five Opening Day starters hit the 60-day IL. Riley and Albies battled injuries and inconsistency yet again. Strider never found his rhythm. It was déjà vu.
Now, we set our eyes to 2026. This is a pivotal offseason not only for the roster, but for the long-term direction of an Alex Anthopoulos led front office. Fans have repeatedly been told that the Braves will spend, that upgrades are coming, and that winning is the priority. Understandably, many are hesitant to buy in after hearing the same thing last winter.
There is good news, however. The core remains strong. The Braves exercised team options for Albies and Chris Sale, and declined those of Tyler Kinley and Pierce Johnson. Ha-Seong Kim, following a promising stint in Atlanta, declined his player option and has entered free agency.
That leaves the current roster looking something like this:
Lineup: Baldwin (C), Murphy (C), Olson (1B), Albies (2B), Allen (SS), Riley (3B), Profar (LF), Harris (CF), Acuña Jr. (RF)
Rotation: Sale, Schwellenbach, Strider, Waldrep, Lopez
Bullpen: Holmes, Dodd, Bummer, Lee, Jiménez
Over half the league would kill to start with a core like this. But if Atlanta wants to compete at the highest level, they have to aim higher. Anthopoulos can’t simply patch holes and run it back for yet another year. The Dodgers, Mets, Yankees, Phillies, and Blue Jays all aggressively upgrade after successful seasons, and there is no excuse for the Braves not to do the same.