Alex Anthopoulos spent the early part of his Braves run building trust the hard way: steadying a franchise shaken by the international signing scandal, guiding Atlanta out of a painful rebuild and helping deliver a World Series title in 2021.
For a while, the formula looked like a home run. Anthopoulos won praise for locking up the young core, making deadline moves that lifted the club down the stretch and landing impact talent on the trade market with deals for Matt Olson and Sean Murphy. He looked like the kind of aggressive, confident front-office leader a contender wants.
That reputation has taken a hit over the last couple of seasons. A mix of bad breaks and some real front-office misses has made his tenure look a lot shakier, and if the Braves can’t put together a meaningful run in the 2026 playoffs, the calls for change could get louder.
Liberty Media and the people above Anthopoulos are probably still pleased enough with what they’re getting. The Braves are making a ton of money, and the roster he built is a major reason why. But that same success can cut the other way, too, especially when the on-field results start slipping.
Braves fans have already watched early playoff exits pile up in the years since the title, and the 2025 season was a disaster. That kind of stretch wears on a fan base.
The Braves are no longer the young, up-and-coming group Anthopoulos inherited, and the roster is aging. The farm system is better, but expecting those prospects to become the next great Braves team might be asking too much.
The more seasons that feel lost, the easier it gets for fans to drift into apathy.
Anthopoulos is also taking on more heat. Some of it isn’t really fair, including the way the extensions for Austin Riley and Sean Murphy have played out and Ronald Acuña Jr.’s repeated injury problems. But other issues land squarely on him, including a string of rough draft classes before 2025 and a stubborn reluctance to truly spend on free-agent starting pitchers.
That’s why this season feels so important. A deep playoff run would help change the mood fast. A championship would obviously be the dream, but even winning a round or two could go a long way toward bringing Braves fans back in and getting them fired up again.
Right now, Anthopoulos looks like he’s losing the fanbase. That’s the last place any front office wants to be. If the Braves come up short again, his seat could start to heat up.
In Other News...
Braves Rotation Need Could Push Atlanta Toward An Intriguing Gamble
The Braves already made one move to bolster the rotation by adding Tyler Mahle at the trade deadline, but the work there does not figure to be finished once the offseason opens. Atlanta still has an obvious need to improve the starting staff, and that puts the front office in the market for pitchers who can offer upside without demanding the kind of certainty that usually comes at a premium.
Casey Mize fits that kind of discussion. CBS Sports Mike Axisa floated Atlanta as a possible landing spot for the free-agent right-hander, whose talent has shown through even as his performance has remained uneven this season. For a Braves club trying to keep pace in a demanding division, the appeal is clear, but the question is whether this is the sort of gamble the organization wants to make as it tries to deepen a rotation that still feels unfinished. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Outfield Uncertainty May Not Last As New Internal Options Emerge
The Braves outfield picture is still unsettled in the short term, but the organization may already have a few answers taking shape inside the system. With current roster decisions and free agency keeping the big-league mix in flux, Atlanta is looking closely at a group of younger options who could eventually factor into both the outfield and designated hitter spots.
Eric Hartman, AJ Gracia, Carter Beck and Owen Carey all got attention for the way they performed recently, and each brings a different kind of fit for the Braves to consider. The timeline is still gradual rather than immediate, but the idea that one or more of these players could push into meaningful roles over the next year and a half gives the front office something useful while the bigger-picture outfield situation remains unresolved. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Pitching Shuffle Puts Reynaldo Lopez In A Spotlight Again
The Braves continued to reshape their pitching group amid the series with the Rays, adding left-hander Bailey Falter to the major-league roster and designating right-hander Elieser Hernandez for assignment. The roster moves came alongside a more significant development for Atlantas rotation, with Reynaldo Lopez reinstated from the injured list and lined up to start the upcoming game.
Bryce Elders move to the injured list after knee surgery added another layer to the shuffle, leaving Atlanta to lean on depth it has been forced to test often. For Lopez, the return puts him back in a familiar spotlight at a time when the Braves are still sorting out how their staff fits together over the stretch ahead. [Read more 🡒]