Forget Tanking: Strong Finish Should Stay Braves Aim

The Atlanta Braves have a shot to win another series on Wednesday when they take on the Miami Marlins for the final time this season. If they take the series, they'll find themselves in the win column for the 14th time in 20 games.

That gives them a .700 winning percentage since they were swept by the Brewers earlier this month. It's a pace that would put them on track to finish with an 81-81 record.

It's an eight-win drop off from last season, sure, but it would be a much better finish than they have the right to have. Coming off that Brewers series, this team was 19 games under .500 and well on its way to losing over 90 games.

Instead, the course was corrected. Players who slumped in the first half are now putting on a show in the second half. Some prospects have emerged as future pieces to a winning product.

They've given themselves a chance to remind everyone this is who they truly are. It might not matter this season, but it's putting everyone on notice for 2026.

Now, hold up, wouldn't trying to run it back be the same mistake they made this season? Yes, but that discussion is about to be covered.

This is not an indication that the team should run it back with who they have. Far from it. If anything, a strong finish, comboed with a reset luxury tax (since the Braves are still just under the threshold), is the perfect time to add to this team.

Now is the offseason to go get that upgraded bat at shortstop and add reliable innings to the starting rotation. Add another high-quality arm to the back of the bullpen to reduce the need to scrape the bottom of the waiver wire barrel.

Had they continued to lose, then we'd be discussing who is going to be sold off during the winter and who gets to stay around during a retool (a total rebuild isn't happening). Players can still be traded away in this scenario, but it's to get other win-now pieces as opposed to prospects who are years away.

If they make a move for a prospect who is ready to help them win now, that works too.

Sure, tanking and getting a better draft pick does help a little, but in the end, it's about how you develop the talent that counts. The following players were not first-round picks: Spencer Schwellenbach, Drake Baldwin, Nacho Alvarez Jr., Michael Harris II and AJ Smith-Shawver.

Hurston Waldrep is a first-rounder, but he was taken near the end at 24th overall. You can still build for the future without a top-10 pick.

So, stay the course and keep winning. The clubhouse will have fun, and it build hope that the struggles this team went through were only temporary. Good times can still be ahead with this group, and nothing makes that clearer than a good finish to the year.

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