Stars show out in Braves second Spring Training game

Losing 8-1 doesn’t typically signal many positives for a ball club, but in the Braves’ second Spring Training contest, there were plenty of encouraging signs, highlighted by strong pitching performances from Chris Sale and top prospect JR Ritchie.

Sale started the game and was sitting in the mid-90s with his heater, topping out at 96 mph. That’s midseason form in February, and the veteran Cy Young Award winner punched out three batters while allowing no runs in two innings of work.

Ritchie relieved Sale and also tossed two scoreless innings, striking out one while allowing no hits and one walk. He flashed a major-league-ready repertoire, featuring a wide array of pitches that consistently keep hitters off balance. The Braves probably aren’t seriously considering starting Ritchie in the majors to begin the season, but they aren’t the kind of organization that will hold a guy back if he keeps ascending. At some point in the first half of 2026, I expect he’ll make his MLB debut.

From an offensive perspective, the Braves featured a lineup very similar to the one they will field on Opening Day. The group may not have scored many runs, but each of the first five batters had a hit while playing about half the game, with reigning NL Rookie of the Year Drake Baldwin recording two of them.

The Braves’ rotation woes have rightfully dominated storylines through the early part of Spring Training. There are serious concerns about this group’s ability to make it through a 162-game season. However, the offense has just as much to prove heading into 2026.

This was a group that made MLB history in multiple categories back in 2023, but they haven’t been able to approach those numbers since. Some of that is due to injuries, but even when healthy, they haven’t come close to living up to their potential in recent years. This can be one of the best offenses in baseball, and they’ll need to be with so many concerns scattered throughout the rotation.

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