Braves Finding Familiar Rhythm as Early-Season Surge Continues

ATLANTA – The Atlanta Braves continued their torrid start to the season on Wednesday night, locking in their sixth straight series without a loss. Aside from a brief scare in the eighth, the game never felt in doubt. Atlanta struck first, as they have so many times this season, and the lead never slipped below three runs. 

Bryce Elder was solid for 5.2 scoreless innings, striking out seven Marlins. The bats also stayed hot, and Matt Olson, Austin Riley, and Ozzie Albies all homered in the win. For the first time in a long time, the Braves felt like the team that fans at Truist Park grew accustomed to seeing over a streak of six straight division titles. 

Winning was the norm in Atlanta. That team won a World Series in 2021 and broke offensive records in 2023. With a star-studded lineup and rotation that rivaled the best in baseball, the Braves felt almost predestined. 

That illusion came crashing down in 2024. They could blame the injuries for ending their division streak at six and crushing their hopes of making any sort of run in the postseason. In 2025, injuries struck again, but they had no one to blame but themselves. 

The season is young, but the Braves believe the feeling is back.

“For my first couple of years here, it felt like we would just roll up to the field and win,” Elder said. “Then last year, it didn’t feel like that at all.” 

The 2025 Braves always felt like they were chasing. They started 0-7 and never recovered. By August, they were essentially eliminated from any hope of playing baseball, and they spent the next two months running out the season. Mentally, they were exhausted and ready to start fresh. 

In 2026, they have taken that second chance and made something with it. 

“I really like where we’re at,” Elder continued. “Last year’s struggles kind of gave people some peace of mind. It kinda made them realize that we gotta go win games, we’re not just going to roll out of bed and beat people.” 

Riley agreed with his starter that this team is feeding off one another. “It seems like everybody is playing a part at some point in the game or in a series,” the third baseman said. 

A tough road trip to Philadelphia and Washington could always put a damper on that, but it feels like this Braves team has its confidence back. Winning breads that. Braves manager Walt Weiss described it as being a “really good vibe,” but the stated goal is to keep winning series.

Easier said than done, but through the early parts of the season, that is exactly what they have done. 

Divisions and championships are not won in April, but last season showed that they can be lost. This year’s Braves have not won anything to hang on the pole in right-center field, but they seem to have learned a valuable lesson that might spur them in that direction again. For the first time in two seasons, they feel like a team that remembers how to get there.