Are the Braves going to make this same mistake again?

Based on a recent interview on MLB Network Radio, Braves GM Alex Anthopoulos appears to be placing a heavier emphasis on upgrading the shortstop position than adding a proven starting pitcher to the rotation.

The reasoning stems from his confidence in what the Braves already have. Atlanta’s rotation was ravaged by injuries this past season, more so than any team in baseball. Every arm spent at least a month on the injured list, and four suffered season-ending injuries. AJ Smith-Shawver is expected to miss most of 2026 after undergoing Tommy John surgery, but Anthopoulos has expressed optimism about the rest of the group.

Spencer Schwellenbach, Reynaldo López, and Grant Holmes are all throwing again and reportedly feeling stronger than ever. The Braves are also confident that Spencer Strider will continue trending in the right direction as he gets further removed from the InternalBrace surgery that wiped out most of his 2024 campaign. If everything breaks right, a healthy rotation consisting of Chris Sale, Schwellenbach, Strider, López, Holmes, and Hurston Waldrep has the upside to be one of the best units in baseball. On top of that, Atlanta has several intriguing young arms — JR Ritchie, Didier Fuentes, and Owen Murphy — who could push their way into the picture based on their current trajectories.

That said, the odds of everything going perfectly on script with this group — or any pitching staff — are slim to none.

Chris Sale has never made it through a full season healthy. Even during his Cy Young campaign in 2024, he missed time down the stretch with a back injury. Schwellenbach has yet to log a full season’s workload. Strider struggled in his first year back from a torn UCL. López has dealt with fatigue as he transitioned back into a starting role. Holmes is returning from a UCL injury, and while Waldrep’s finish to the season was encouraging, the sample size remains minuscule.

Every single arm in the Braves’ rotation enters 2026 with at least some level of concern. That makes it critical Atlanta does not go through another offseason without properly addressing the rotation.

It almost always takes nine, ten, or even eleven starters to survive a 162-game season. Multiple pitchers are going to miss time — that’s a certainty, not a possibility. Teams can never have enough pitching, and Anthopoulos knows that better than anyone. Adding another proven starting pitcher should not be viewed as a luxury. It should be a non-negotiable.

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