The Braves have hit rock bottom, and it might be deeper than we think

The Atlanta Braves have hit a new low, perhaps their lowest point since the rebuild days nearly a decade ago. But, at least back then, there were no expectations.

The 2025 Braves came into the season with the second-best odds of any team to win the World Series, behind only the Los Angeles Dodgers. Their seven straight postseason appearances is the third longest streak in all of baseball, a streak that is now in serious jeopardy after a miserable home series against the Diamondbacks that almost defies explanation.

The Braves offense combined for just four runs in the first two games. Par for the course for this group so far this season, but the bats finally woke up in the series finale, exploding for ten runs thanks to home runs from Austin Riley, Ronald Acuña Jr., and Drake Baldwin. They held a seven run lead at one point and a six run leading heading into the ninth, but it still wasn’t enough for Scott Blewett and Raisel Iglesias. The two combined to give up seven runs in the final frame, leading to the Braves fourth straight loss and dropping them to 27-34 on the season.

Outside of a few individual performances, it’s hard to make an argument that this is a playoff caliber baseball team. The offense has consistently been in the bottom third of the league dating back to June of last year. The rotation — while still a strong suit — has become paper thin due to injuries, and the bullpen, as we saw today, is a full-blown liability.

This isn’t a blip. This isn’t a slump. The Braves have played sub-.500 baseball over their last 200 games. That’s a sample size that can’t be ignored. And now, with the team crumbling, the front office’s decisions are starting to come under serious scrutiny.

The Braves chose not to pay franchise cornerstones like Freddie Freeman, Dansby Swanson, and Max Fried. Instead, they locked up a core of young players to long-term deals that — at the time — looked like savvy, low-risk moves. But we’re learning the hard way that betting on potential is far more dangerous than betting on proven greatness.

Bad contracts can slam shut a championship window. That’s exactly what Alex Anthopoulos was trying to avoid by moving off beloved stars. But no deal is risk-free, and Atlanta’s current situation shows how quickly things can unravel.

This isn’t just about salvaging 2025 — the Braves might be staring down a much longer, more difficult climb than anyone anticipated.

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