{"id":827928,"date":"2026-10-12T23:27:16","date_gmt":"2026-10-12T23:27:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/827928\/"},"modified":"2026-10-12T23:27:16","modified_gmt":"2026-10-12T23:27:16","slug":"what-braves-rotation-could-look-like-in-2027","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/827928\/","title":{"rendered":"What Braves Rotation Could Look Like in 2027"},"content":{"rendered":"

While it wasn\u2019t their downfall in the end, the starting rotation has been a constant thorn in the Atlanta Braves<\/a>\u2019 side for multiple seasons now. For 2026, it was no different.\u00a0<\/p>\n

As the page turns to 2027, it\u2019s to see how it shakes up. There will be at least one guarantee. Chris Sale is the ace. You probably guarantee that Bryce Elder is in the mix, too, along with Grant Holmes. After that, we\u2019ll see what happens.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Who is Expected to Get a Chance?\u00a0<\/p>\n

General manager Alex Anthopoulos already made it clear that Didier Fuentes would get stretched out as a starting pitcher in the spring. So, be on the lookout for him, but his role will be determined by what the team needs from him.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The question still being raised is the workload he could take on, even if he established himself as a starter. He threw 73 1\/3 innings this season. The most he\u2019s ever thrown in pro baseball is 75 2\/3 innings.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It brings us back to a debate from when the season started. He still doesn\u2019t have that much experience under his belt. It really makes what he\u2019s already done more impressive. That being said, the Braves will have to be careful with how they approach Fuentes.\u00a0<\/p>\n

This is fully speculative, but they have to manage him the same way they did with Mart\u00edn P\u00e9rez, but from the angle of him being a young arm. It could be that he gets some time as a starter, then moves to a couple of relief outings, then goes back to being a starter for a time.\u00a0<\/p>\n

He could get 30 appearances in, and maybe 18 of them are starts. Fast-forward to 2028, and he\u2019s a full-time starting pitcher outright. I\u2019m not the first to put these numbers out there, but somewhere between 120 and 130 innings sounds realistic.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Staying on the topic of young talent, AJ Smith-Shawver, JR Ritchie and Owen Murphy will almost certainly get looks. Nothing is guaranteed, but since they\u2019ll need the options, expect them to look in-house like they normally do. Smith-Shawver has already cracked an opening day roster before (2025).\u00a0<\/p>\n

One last pitcher to look into will be Joey Wentz. Yeah, remember him? He\u2019s spent the entire season recovering from a torn ACL he suffered in a spring training game. It\u2019s a 12-month recovery. Maybe he\u2019s not quite ready for spring training, but as he gets close, look and see if he\u2019s on the radar at all.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Who Can\u2019t They Count On?\u00a0<\/p>\n

It\u2019s two unsurprising but also unfortunate answers. Spencer Schwellenbach and Spencer Strider are already question marks. They aren\u2019t ruled out entirely, but neither are locks.\u00a0<\/p>\n

We have to imagine Reynaldo L\u00f3pez can\u2019t be relied on either after last season. He spent time in the bullpen, then he experienced two injuries, one of which was season-ending.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Hurston Waldrep is essentially ruled out for the 2027 season. Where he stands is a moot point.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Which Pitchers Would Be Near Locks But Have to Be Re-Signed?<\/p>\n

If Tyler Mahle is re-signed, then he\u2019s locked for the rotation. That\u2019s been earned. Getting him back is key to the stability of the rotation. He\u2019s been fantastic, and he gives the team innings.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Most of the options are good for five innings, and then they have to hope the bullpen has the arms stocked to come in after.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Then, there\u2019s the aforementioned P\u00e9rez. His workload has to be managed at times. The late-season injury may be evidence that they can\u2019t take the leash off. But again, he\u2019s a consistent face who was huge for the team in 2026.\u00a0<\/p>\n

He\u2019s likely an expected rotation arm going into the season.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Will the Braves Sign Anybody?\u00a0<\/p>\n

After the last couple of offseasons, you have to see it before you can believe it. Maybe they bring in some under-the-radar option like L\u00f3pez in 2024 or P\u00e9rez in 2026.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Even if they do, there are a few ways this could go. Maybe, just maybe, they turn heads and sign a big free agent like Tarik Skubal or Shota Imagnaga.\u00a0<\/p>\n

More realistically, do they sign a Robbie Ray, who has been reliable, or a fixer-upper like a Brady Singer? If you\u2019re reading this, you\u2019re probably not having the best reaction to these latter possibilities, but it\u2019s something that can\u2019t be ruled out. After all, both provided at least 30 starts in 2026.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Again, it\u2019s the Braves. Watch them work out in their rotation just because.<\/p>\n

How Will a Lockout Impact Things?<\/p>\n

Who knows. There may be no season at all. Opening day may on time or in June or some other time. <\/p>\n

Will there be a salary cap? If there is, how do the Braves prepare? What other rule changes could come about? As you can tell, this subject opens more questions with answers that we won’t know for a few more months. I couldn’t ignore it entirely, but the reality is that there is no clear-cut answer to give. <\/p>\n

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