Atlanta, GA

3 Burning Questions Facing the Atlanta Braves Midway Through Spring Training

Published

10 months ago

March 4, 2025

3 Burning Questions Facing the Atlanta Braves Midway Through Spring Training

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. — The Atlanta Braves’ path to the postseason will be a tumultuous one, even though they remain one of the most talented teams in MLB.

In order to clinch an eight consecutive playoff berth, the Braves will have to overcome some tough injury luck yet again, in addition to navigating a division chock full of potential powerhouses. Their ability to do so will be tested this spring, both in the leadup to the regular season and the early days of it.

Reporting live from spring training down in Florida, Fastball On SI staff writer Sam Connon broke down the three biggest questions hanging over the Braves midway through camp.

Will Drake Baldwin emerge as a true MLB catcher?

The Braves got dealt a tough blow when Sean Murphy was ruled out 4-to-6 weeks with a fractured rib on Monday, costing them a bona fide All-Star behind the plate.

Veteran Travis d’Arnaud isn’t around to step up anymore, as he joined the Los Angeles Angels in free agency following five seasons in Atlanta. The only other catcher who saw MLB action with the Braves in 2024 was Chadwick Tromp, who is about to turn 30 and has just 151 career big league at-bats under his belt.

That leaves the door wide open for Drake Baldwin, who isn’t even on the Braves’ 40-man roster.

Baldwin is ranked as the No. 1 prospect in Atlanta’s farm system. MLB Pipeline has him pegged as the No. 62 prospect in baseball, which is good for seventh-highest among catchers.

Since getting drafted by the Braves in 2022, Baldwin has hit .272 with 32 home runs, 50 doubles, 158 RBIs and an .807 OPS in 257 minor league games. So far this spring, he is batting .333 with an .883 OPS.

Baldwin figures to be a key part of the Braves’ future, even once Murphy returns to full strength. But if he can prove to be a starting-caliber catcher right out of the gates, then Atlanta could find themselves with one of the best one-two catching punches in the sport all season long.

How will the back end of the rotation shake out?

Max Fried is gone, as is Charlie Morton. Even Spencer Strider is likely to miss the first month of the regular season recovering from elbow surgery.

Reigning NL Cy Young winner Chris Sale remains atop the rotation, supported by Reynaldo López and Spencer Schwellenbach. While those three give the Braves’ rotation a high floor, the group’s ceiling could be decided by who fills out the back end.

Grant Holmes posted a 3.56 ERA and 1.1 WAR in 68.1 innings last season, but just seven of his 26 appearances were starts. Ian Anderson may have posted a 3.25 ERA across his first 30 MLB starts, but he hasn’t pitched an inning in MLB since his ERA ballooned to 5.00 in 2022.

Homegrown righties AJ Smith-Shawver and Hurston Waldrep, who have both already made their MLB debuts, are among the most hyped pitching prospects the Braves have. And yet, the former got shelled in the postseason and the latter made two starts in June before getting sent back down.

Bryce Elder also saw his ERA climb to 6.52 in 10 starts last season after he was an All-Star in 2023.

Atlanta has plenty of options when it comes to their fourth and fifth starters. Each one seems like a wild card, though, so the last few weeks of spring training will surely prove critical to how the race plays out.

Can anyone challenge Orlando Arcia at shortstop?

Orlando Arcia was an All-Star in 2023. He was anything but in 2024.

Arcia’s batting average and OPS dropped from .264 and .741 to .218 and .625, respectively. And after being a plus defender during his time with the Milwaukee Brewers, Arcia has posted -7 defensive runs saved over the past two seasons.

The most notable outside competitor the Braves brought in to go against Arcia is Nick Allen, who they acquired in a trade with the Athletics. The 26-year-old is a career .209 hitter with a .537 OPS, but he is batting .417 with a .962 OPS so far this spring.

Nacho Alvarez Jr. is the Braves’ No. 5 prospect, per MLB Pipeline. However, the 21-year-old was 0-for-6 in the Grapefruit League before he suffered a wrist injury last week.

Alvarez is slated to return to action in the coming days, giving him a chance to reset the board and come back out firing on all cylinders. Even if he doesn’t match Allen’s exhibition numbers, Alvarez could do enough to prove some doubters wrong.

Arcia’s job is right there for the taking. Now it’s just a matter of whether or not someone can actually snatch it.

Continue to follow our Fastball On SI coverage on social media by liking us on Facebook and by following us on Twitter @FastballFN.

You can also follow Sam Connon on Twitter @SamConnon.

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Atlanta, GA

Starters Braves Have on Their Radar, Top Prospects in Play

Published

8 hours ago

December 14, 2025

Press Room

Starters Braves Have on Their Radar, Top Prospects in Play

The Atlanta Braves have locked down two free agents. One bolstered the bullpen while the other diversified their options on the offense. Now, from what we’re hearing, the attention has turned to fortifying the rotation.

We are gaining an idea of who the Braves are targeting on the starting pitching market. Framber Valdez and Michael King appear to be the top two free-agent options they’re taking a look at, per source. The goal would be to land one of the two. How far along any potential talks are or if they’re currently talking at all is unclear. We just know now that these two are preferred targets.

Previous reports said that the Mets and Giants had previously chatted with Valdez. King is on the radar of the Tigers and Cubs. There are contenders in play for these same guys.

Signing a free agent is their plan A for acquiring starting pitching depth. What we are hearing confirms the willingness to cough up a draft pick to make a big signing. Both have a qualifying offer attached to them.

That being said, they are willing to go out on the trade market if needed and in a specific circumstance. Plan B is to make a deal for Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Freddy Peralta.

The 2025 All-Star has been rumored to be a trade candidate since the start of the offseason. What we are hearing lines up with previous speculation as to the type of moves the Braves could make. The Athletic’s Jim Bowden suggested the Braves make a move for Peralta, and part of that suggestion included a potential trade piece that would likely be dealt in this scenario.

The Brewers would likely want to make the centerpiece of the return the Braves’ No. 2 prospect, JR Ritchie. However, the Braves would likely prefer to hang onto Ritchie. They see him as a key piece of their future. They would likely prefer to make the centerpiece of the deal Hurston Waldrep, who showed significant promise once she was called up toward the end of last season.

Another player would likely be dealt along with one of the two names. The Braves would like to know whether an extension would be in play. They wouldn’t want to make the move for strictly a rental.

However, the Brewers want to get a trade done during the offseason. If he’s on the roster during the regular season, it would put them in a bind. They don’t see him as someone they’ll be able to keep around, but if they’re contending, they can’t trade him at the deadline. He would have to stick around for a push, and then he would walk.

Meanwhile, the Braves are pushing to have a top-five payroll in the league for next season. That puts them in the position to take on one of the two possible free-agent signings or take on a contract extension in a potential trade.

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Atlanta, GA

2 Dead In Fiery Crash On Interstate 75 In Atlanta

Published

20 hours ago

December 13, 2025

Press Room

2 Dead In Fiery Crash On Interstate 75 In Atlanta

ATLANTA, GA — Two people are dead following a fiery crash on Interstate 75 in Atlanta, according to police.

The crash occurred shortly before 3:15 a.m. Saturday on southbound I-75 near Cleveland Avenue Southwest. According to police, a Kia Sportage was traveling on I-75 when the driver lost control of the vehicle while attempting to exit at Cleveland Avenue.

Police said the vehicle left the roadway, hit a pole and subsequently caught fire.

Two unidentified occupants of the vehicle were pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators with the Atlanta Police Department Accident Investigations Unit responded to the scene to determine what led to the crash. The investigation into the collision is ongoing.

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Atlanta, GA

Atlanta chef charged after shooting 2 suspected teen porch pirates outside his home

Published

1 day ago

December 13, 2025

Press Room

Atlanta chef charged after shooting 2 suspected teen porch pirates outside his home

An Atlanta chef allegedly shot two teenagers who were suspected of trying to steal packages outside his home in broad daylight.

Rakim Bradford was charged with two counts of aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony after he opened fire on the boys, ages 15 and 16, at his townhouse in the Mays neighborhood, southwest of Downtown Atlanta, on Thursday around 3:40 p.m.

Bradford, the head chef at an area IHOP, according to his LinkedIn, was at his home on the 700 block of Celeste Lane SW when he noticed the teens near his front porch, Atlanta Police said.

Officials believe the teens had traveled to the Villages of Cascade complex, where they spotted a delivery van and followed it, according to Atlanta News First, citing Bradford’s arrest warrant.

“After the packages were dropped, they agreed to steal that package from the front of the residence,” the warrant stated.

Bradford caught the teens going for the packages and allegedly shot the pair before they could steal the delivery.

“We believe a property crime was occurring, that some packages were being taken off a front porch, which is common this time of year,” Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum told reporters. “The homeowner did discharge his weapon to stop that theft of packages.”

The unidentified 15-year-old was found with a gunshot wound to the right foot. Officers later found the 16-year-old suffering from a gunshot to the right arm.

He was transported to the hospital in critical condition before undergoing surgery. The teen is expected to survive.

“The Atlanta Police Department takes gun violence very seriously,” Schierbaum said. “Anytime a child is injured in our city, we really take that really seriously. We want to make sure they know what’s happening.”

Bradford was detained after the shooting and brought in for questioning.

Officials ruled out a home invasion and didn’t announce any charges against the two teens.

Neighbors warned potential porch pirates of stealing packages from other homes.

“Don’t go and steal people’s packages,” Andrew Julian told the outlet. “On the other side of that, what right do you have to defend your own home, and then what decision do you make to defend your own home based on somebody taking an item off of your porch? So, it’s certainly a conversation to be had.”

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