Season Letter Grades for Atlanta Braves 2025 Season

The Atlanta Braves' 2025 season has come to a close. They finished with a 76-86 record and a fourth-place finish in the National League East, both missing the postseason and finishing below .500 for the first time since 2017. 

It’s time to look back on the season and give out some letter grades.

Starting Pitching: B (When Healthy), C- (In General)

When the starting rotation was healthy, there were few complaints. Chris Sale, after the first month, looked like a Cy Young contender again. Grant Holmes and Spencer Schwellenbach both provided a consistent quality presence. We also saw the rise of Hurston Waldrep and, for a time, AJ Smith-Shawver showed promise. 

Then, the wheels came off. By July, all five members of the Opening Day starting rotation we on the 60-day injured list. Only one made it back before the end of the season. 

Most of the options that were used in the effort to fill the gaps didn’t go so well. On top of that, the Braves had to deal with inconsistent play from Spencer Strider and Bryce Elder - even if their innings were valuable to the team. 

In total, the Braves needed 19 starting pitchers to survive the year compared to 13 in 2024. All the credit to those who stepped up, but knowing what could have been, an evaluation needs to be done based on health. 

Bullpen: C-

This grade is boosted by a rebound from closer Raisel Iglesias. Early on in the year, Daysbel Hernández had a strong run, and Tyler Kinley made for a nice post-deadline addition. Credit to Dylan Dodd as well for establishing himself as a bullpen option this season. 

Pierce Johnson and Dylan Lee were consistent presences in the bullpen, and Aaron Bummer looked solid before he had a season-ending injury and when not factoring in his opener numbers. 

While there are individual standouts, the bullpen in 2025 will be reflected by mostly being a revolving door, seeing the team try several options off the waiver wire. 

Catcher: B

Drake Baldwin burst onto the scene as a Rookie of the Year candidate despite not even being the starter for most of the season. His .810 OPS was fifth in MLB among rookies and second in the National League. 

When healthy, Murphy looked a lot better this season, though he can still be streaky. Before things spiraled out in the final month due to an injury, he had an .823 OPS, nearly 200 points higher than his previous season. 

First Base: A

Matt Olson took home the Brave of the Year Award for the first time in 2025. In a year where everything could have gone wrong, he provided likely the one thing that went right. 

He was named an All-Star and participated in the Home Run Derby. He fell short again of 30 home runs and 100 RBIs, but he undoubtedly took a step forward from his “down” year in 2024.

Olson’s .845 OPS and 136 OPS+ were both his second-best since joining the Braves. The team’s Iron Man just needs a Gold Glove to put a nice bow on this season. 

Rest of Infield: D

Ha-Seong Kim’s one month with the team isn’t going to save this grade. Neither was the brief surge from Ozzie Albies. 

Braves shortstops were statistically the worst in baseball. They had the worst OPS (.549) and the lowest slugging percentage (.268), as well as the fifth-worst on-base percentage (.281). 

Before the All-Star Break, Albies had the sixth-worst OPS in MLB (.625), and unfortunately, we don’t know how he’ll look next season now after his latest wrist injury. 

Austin Riley struggled to find consistency before ultimately being sidelined by an injury. Nacho Alvarez Jr. gets some credit for stepping up, but overall, this year’s performance from the infield was lackluster.

Outfield: D

This grade easily could have been an F, but Ronald Acuña Jr. was a starting outfielder in the All-Star Game, and Michael Harris II showed flashes. Eli White also established himself as an option for the outfield this season. 

Meanwhile, Jurickson Profar, while he did have a solid performance in the final couple of months of the season, missed 80 games due to a suspension for a positive test for PEDs. Harris was statistically the worst hitter in MLB in the official first half, and the parade of outfielders you might have forgotten even played for the team couldn’t survive in even a platoon role.  

Alex Verdugo, Bryan De La Cruz, Jarred Kelenic, Stuart Fairchild, Eddie Rosario and Jake Fraley all came and went. It wasn’t pretty, and the Braves will need more consistent play throughout the year next season. 

Designated Hitter: D+ 

Marcell Ozuna had his moments, but it was overall a disappointing year for him. He had to battle through a hip ailment, and maybe he’ll be himself again next year. However, there is a solid chance that it’ll be in a different uniform. 

Manager: B

Snitker might have managed a team with a losing record this year, but he managed to keep the clubhouse together from start to finish. This easily could have spiraled out more than it did. Even after being eliminated, they put on a 10-game winning streak. 

He pushed for his players to keep fighting to the end, and that’s exactly what happened. 

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