With Braves Spring Training games beginning over the weekend, we are about a month away from Opening Day, which means it’s time for the first edition of 26-man roster predictions. Let’s dive in.

Braves 2026 Opening Day Roster Predictions

Catchers

Drake Baldwin
Sandy Leon

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With Sean Murphy sidelined for at least the first month of the season as he continues to recover from hip surgery, veteran Sandy Leon gets the nod. Chadwick Tromp could have just as easily been put here, and the decision will likely come down to who performs better throughout Spring Training.

Infielders

Matt Olson
Mauricio Dubon
Ozzie Albies
Austin Riley
Jorge Mateo
Kyle Farmer

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The injury to Ha-Seong Kim will force Mauricio Dubon to take over as the everyday shortstop, and it also creates opportunities for guys like Jorge Mateo and Kyle Farmer to make the Opening Day roster. If Kim were healthy, neither of them likely would have much of a shot. Now, the Braves would probably prefer to have a couple of versatile infield options for different situations, particularly at the end of games.

Outfielders

Ronald Acuña Jr.
Michael Harris II
Mike Yastrzemski
Jurickson Profar
Eli White

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No surprises here. All of these guys feel like locks to make the Opening Day roster unless the Braves make some drastic changes in the weeks leading up to the season. The first four players on this list will be everyday regulars, and Eli White could see quite a bit of playing time early in the season because of the injury to Ha-Seong Kim.

Starting Pitchers

Chris Sale
Spencer Strider
Reynaldo Lopez
Grant Holmes
Bryce Elder

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This is where things have gotten really sketchy because of the injuries to Hurston Waldrep and Spencer Schwellenbach. Bryce Elder now becomes the frontrunner for the final rotation spot, and the other four are already locked in, according to Braves GM Alex Anthopoulos.

Because Elder is out of options, it makes sense for Atlanta to give him one final opportunity before designating him for assignment. Perhaps he thrives under that kind of pressure and sticks in the rotation for the entire season, but if he starts to flounder, veteran Martin Perez could get a look. Top prospect JR Ritchie is also now on the short list of guys behind him, but it’s unlikely he’ll start the year in the majors.

Additionally, Walt Weiss hinted the Braves could begin the season with a six-man rotation due to the fact that they start the campaign with 13 games in 13 days. In that case, keeping a guy like Joe Wentz around could make some sense.

Bullpen

Raisel Iglesias
Robert Suarez
Dylan Lee
Tyler Kinley
Aaron Bummer
Joel Payamps
Joey Wentz
Dylan Dodd

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This is one of the stronger aspects of the Braves, but there are still a few spots up for grabs. I’m giving Wentz the nod because of his ability to also serve as an opener, and for now, Dylan Dodd earns the final spot. He made the transition to the bullpen full-time last year and experienced some really solid results in Atlanta, posting a 3.60 ERA with a 0.943 WHIP over 35 innings.

This would be a really solid group with a good mix of righties and lefties, but by season’s end, it could look a lot scarier. The Braves have several intriguing relief prospects on the cusp of being deemed major-league ready.