Zero question about the most important Braves player in 2026

A rotation that came in with significant concerns is now on life support following the news surrounding Hurston Waldrep and Spencer Schwellenbach — and Opening Day isn’t for another five-plus weeks.

As of now, there is still hope that both Schwellenbach and Waldrep can avoid season-ending surgery on their respective elbows, but the harsh reality is that it is tough to count on them moving forward. That puts the Braves behind the eight ball, with really only one reliable arm in the rotation, and even he comes with significant injury concerns of his own.

When on the mound over the course of his career, Chris Sale has been one of the best pitchers to ever pick up a baseball, and his time with the Braves has only emphasized that fact. He won the NL Cy Young Award in his first year with the club and then followed it with very similar numbers in year two, boasting a 2.58 ERA with an 11.8 K/9 over 125.2 innings. If he’s right, the Braves know what they are getting, but after that, it’s anyone’s best guess.

Both Reynaldo Lopez and Grant Holmes are coming off season-ending injuries. Lopez made just one start last season before undergoing shoulder surgery, while Holmes suffered a UCL injury toward the end of the season, one he opted not to have surgery on. Those are two more-than-capable arms, but the volatility of pitchers following such injuries is drastic.

The fourth arm slotted into the Braves’ rotation has quickly become the most important. Spencer Strider burst onto the scene as quite literally the most dominant strikeout artist in the sport. He set numerous MLB and franchise records for his ability to miss bats, flashing a triple-digit fastball with one of the filthiest wipeout sliders to pair with it.

Then came InternalBrace surgery in 2024, ending his season. When he made his highly anticipated return last year, the velocity wasn’t quite where it used to be, down a few ticks on both his fastball and slider, and the results reflected that. Strider went from one of the most dominant pitchers in the game to just a guy, recording a 4.45 ERA with a 1.396 WHIP and 9.4 K/9 (his previous career-low was 13.5 K/9).

Now, one of two things is going to have to happen for Spencer Strider to return to form. What everyone is hoping for is that the extra time away from InternalBrace surgery leads to improved strength, resulting in better stamina to go deeper into games and an uptick in velocity. Basically, the old flame-throwing Strider returns and is the 1B to Chris Sale’s 1A atop the Braves’ rotation.

How likely that is, we’ll probably have a good idea in a few weeks after he takes the mound in Spring Training, but that’s not the only way Strider can be successful. There are plenty of star pitchers who sit in the 95–97 range. It just takes a slightly different approach than the one Strider has utilized in the past — more patience and, most importantly, a wider array of pitches.

Strider introduced a curveball last season and had quite a bit of success, with opponents hitting just .156 against the offering. Perhaps that’s a pitch we see him turn to more moving forward, and there could be something new in store this season, especially with a new pitching coach in Jeremy Hefner, who has received rave reviews for his work with the New York Mets.

There’s more than one way to skin a cat. There are a lot more successful pitchers in this league than there are guys who can hit 100 on the radar gun. The experience Spencer Strider went through last season was invaluable. Combine that with improved strength as he continues to move further away from that surgery, and there’s hope he can look like a much different guy in 2026.

The success of the Braves’ season likely lies on Strider’s shoulders.

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