ATLANTA (AP) — There have been plenty of doubts about the Braves’ starting rotation.
No such worries for the top guy.
kAm$92<:?8 @77 2? :==?6DD E92E 92>A6C65 9:D G6=@4:EJ[ $2=6 2==@H65 @?=J @?6 32D6 CF??6C 😕 D:I :??:?8D @7 2?@E96C 5@>:?2?E DE2CE E@ =625 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^3C2G6D\2E9=6E:4D\D4@C6\b2hcb3bde26g3gfba52ehb75dg3e_h4dQmpE=2?E2 A2DE E96 pE9=6E:4D d\`k^2m @? (65?6D52J]k^Am
kAm$2=6 Wa\_X 5:5?VE 6G6? >6?E:@? E92E 96 H2D 766=:?8 325 2D 96 5:D4FDD65 92G:?8 E@ >2<6 5@ H:E9 2 >@C6 =:>:E65 2CD6?2= @7 A:E496D] p7E6C 96 925 56A2CE65 E96 :?E6CG:6H C@@>[ >2?286C (2=E (6:DD 7:==65 😕 E96 C6DE @7 E96 DE@CJ]k^Am
kAm“w6 H2D D:4< 2D 2 5@8[Q (6:DD D2:5] “(6 5:5?VE 6G6? @H :7 96 H2D 8@:?8 E@ 36 23=6 E@ >2<6 E92E DE2CE] x H2D 9@A:?8 E@ 86E E9C66 :??:?8D @FE @7 9:>] x? E96 36DE\42D6 D46?2C:@[ >2J36 7@FC]”k^Am
kAmx?DE625[ $2=6 Wa\_X 82G6 E96 qC2G6D D:I 5@>:?2?E :??:?8D 367@C6 EFC?:?8 :E @G6C E@ E96 3F==A6? 7@C E96 7:?2= E9C66 :??:?8D] %96 @?=J 3=6>:D9 @? 9:D A:E49:?8 =:?6 H2D k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^I]4@>^:^DE2EFD^a_bhbhbc_bab_hbfbggQm2 7@FCE9\:??:?8 9@>6Ck^2m E@ $962 {2?86=:6CD E92E 32C6=J 4=62C65 E96 =67E\7:6=5 H2==]k^Am
kAm~E96CH:D6[ 96 C6E:C65 6G6CJ pE9=6E:4D 9:EE6C 96 72465 — 56DA:E6 C64@8?:K:?8 5FC:?8 9:D AC682>6 H2C>FA E92E 96 5:5?VE 92G6 E96 ?@C>2= DA665 @? 9:D A:E496D]k^Am
kAm“*@FVC6 ?@E 8@:?8 E@ 92G6 J@FC 36DE DEF77 6G6CJ E:>6[” $2=6 D2:5[ H:E9 ?@ C676C6?46 E@ 9:D :==?6DD] “x C62==J ECJ E@ C2:D6 >J 7@4FD @? E92E 52J] #6249:?8 7@C >@C6 DEF77 H96? :EVD ?@E E96C6 😀 ?@E C62==J E96 H2J] x 6H x 925 E@ 7:?5 2 H2J E@ >2<6 :E 2 82>6]”k^Am
kAm(6:DD H2D 2AAC64:2E:G6 @7 E96 677@CE 7C@> 9:D =67E\92?56C[ H9@ 925 46=63C2E65 9:D bfE9 3:CE952J EH@ 52JD 62C=:6C]k^Am
kAm“w6 4@F=5?VE <66A 2?JE9:?8 5@H?] w6 H2D 2 >6DD[” E96 >2?286C D2:5] “xE H2D E@F49 2?5 8@ 367@C6 E96 82>6] qFE ECF6 E@ 7@C>[ 96 E2<6D E96 32== 2?5 8@6D @FE E96C6 2?5 8:G6D FD D:I :??:?8D H:E9 @?6 9:E] w2== @7 u2>6CD[ E96J ;FDE @A6C2E6 5:776C6?E=J] %92EVD H92E 96 :D] xE H2D 2? F?36=:6G23=6 A6C7@C>2?46 4@?D:56C:?8 E96 4:C4F>DE2?46D]”k^Am
kAm$2=6[ 2 ?:?6\E:>6 p==\$E2C H9@ H@? E96 }{ rJ *@F?8 😕 9:D 7:CDE D62D@? H:E9 E96 qC2G6D 😕 a_ac[ H6?E k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^24dc7h57hd`42h4`4g_b222_65ef6fhbQmD:I D4@C6=6DD :??:?8Dk^2m @? @A6?:?8 ?:89E 282:?DE E96 z2?D2D r:EJ #@J2=D] w6 2=D@ >@G65 A2DE w2== @7 u2>6CD q@3 u6==6C 2?5 (2CC6? $A29? 7@C E96 b_E9 DA@E @? E96 42C66C DEC:<6@FE =:DE]k^Am
kAm(:E9 E9C66 >@C6 zD @? (65?6D52J[ 96 😀 ?@H ;FDE `h 2H2J 7C@> E96 ?6IE 8FJ @? E96 =:DE[ =@?8E:>6 qC2G6D DE2C %@> v=2G:?6[ 2?@E96C >6>36C 2E r@@A6CDE@H?]k^Am
kAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^3C2G6D\D2=6\C@J2=D\fb2a3e7c4b_3h`_h44446_e4`6`dh7c2Qm%96 qC2G6D 2AAC64:2E6k^2m 9@H :>A@CE2?E $2=6 😀 E@ E96:C 9@A6D @7 86EE:?8 324< E@ E96 A=2J@77D 27E6C 2 CF? @7 D6G6? DEC2:89E A@DED62D@? 2AA62C2?46D 6?565 H:E9 2? :?;FCJ\7:==65 a_ad D62D@?]k^Am
kAm%96C6 H6C6 >@C6 EC@F3=6D 5FC:?8 DAC:?8 EC2:?:?8[ H:E9 $A6?46C $49H6==6?3249 2?5 wFCDE@? (2=5C6A CF=65 @FE 7@C 2? 6IE6?565 A6C:@5 367@C6 $A6?46C $EC:56C ;@:?65 E96> @? E96 :?;FC65 =:DE =2E6 😕 42>A]k^Am
kAmpE =62DE E96 qC2G6D 2C6 @77 E@ 2 36EE6C DE2CE E92? 2 J62C 28@[ H96? E96J =@DE E96:C 7:CDE D6G6? 82>6D @? 2 (6DE r@2DE C@25 EC:A 2?5 ?6G6C D66>65 E@ C64@G6C[ DEF>3=:?8 E@ E96 7:?:D9 2E fe\ge]k^Am
kAm%96J 2C6 c\a E9:D D62D@? E9C@F89 EH@ D6C:6D 2E 9@>6] }@H[ :EVD @77 E@ pC:K@?2 7@C E96:C 7:CDE C@25 EC:A @7 a_ae]k^Am
kAm“xEVD ?:46[ 3FE H6VC6 ?@E 8@:?8 E@ 92?8 @FC 92E @? :E J6E] (6VC6 @?6 H66< :?[Q $2=6 D2:5] “qFE 86EE:?8 @77 @? E96 C:89E 7@@E 😀 9F86] %96 6?6C8J 😕 E96 4=F39@FD6 😀 7F?]”k^Am
kAmtG6? H96? 96VD ?@E 766=:?8 9:D 36DE]k^Am
k9C ^m
kAmp! |{qi k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^>=3Qm9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^>=3k^2mk^Am
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.