The Braves are getting close to full strength for the postseason, with Ronald Acuña Jr.’s shin assumed to be only a minor issue and Robert Suarez back to help stabilize the bullpen. That means the familiar core is largely in place as Atlanta heads into October.
But this run won’t be business as usual for everybody on the roster. A handful of Braves are about to experience playoff baseball for the first time, and in some cases they’ll be doing it in major roles.
Drake Baldwin is one of the clearest examples. He’s only in his second year as a professional, but his importance to Atlanta’s offense has already made that easy to overlook. Since the Braves missed the playoffs last season, this will be Baldwin’s first postseason appearance, and Atlanta will be hoping it turns into a big one.
Didier Fuentes is in a similar spot, though his path is a little different. He made his big league debut last season, but with the Braves out of the race, he never had a shot at October. Now he enters the postseason as a key part of the bullpen, with plenty still ahead of him.
Dylan Dodd technically has been around longer, but he’s still waiting on his first postseason game. He debuted with Atlanta in 2023 and has spent much of the last three seasons moving between the Braves and Gwinnett. He was left off both previous playoff rosters he might have made, but that looks likely to change this year thanks to his bullpen value.
Tyler Mahle has postseason experience on paper, but not in action. He was on the Reds’ 2020 playoff roster, yet Cincinnati was knocked out by the Braves in the Wild Card round and Mahle never got into a game. Now he’s set for his first actual postseason appearance as Atlanta’s second-best starter and an important piece of the club’s push for a deep run.
JR Ritchie’s case is more straightforward. He didn’t make his MLB debut until this year, despite some Braves fans pushing for him to get the call last season. His spot on the playoff roster isn’t locked in, but his last start was strong, and that could be enough to make him a useful length option if Atlanta needs one.
Brewer Hicklen has suddenly moved back into the picture, too. His odds looked slim after the Braves traded for Lane Thomas at the deadline, but Thomas suffered an intercostal muscle injury earlier this month and is unlikely to be available for the Wild Card round at minimum. That opens the door for Hicklen, a right-handed hitting outfielder with speed who has also never appeared in the postseason since making his MLB debut in 2022.
In Other News...
Braves Just Got An Intriguing October Pitching Twist With Bryce Elder
Bryce Elders recovery has given the Braves a little more pitching flexibility than they expected as October arrives. The right-hander, who underwent knee surgery, has moved ahead of schedule and is already pitching off a mound, a noteworthy development for a team trying to map out every possible arm for a postseason run.
Elder is still unlikely to crack the Wild Card round rotation plans, but his presence could matter if Atlanta moves on. From there, he could give the Braves bullpen depth or stand by as an emergency starter, with his exact role tied to how the rest of the staff holds up and which pitchers are available deeper into the playoffs. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Suddenly Have A Pitching Prospect Decision They Didn't Expect
After years of stops and starts caused by injuries, Davis Polo has put himself back on the Braves radar in a real way. The right-hander, signed out of Colombia, has climbed from Augusta to Rome and then to Columbus this season, and the climb has been fueled by the kind of steady improvement Atlanta likes to see from a young arm trying to get back on track.
What makes Polos rise notable is not just that hes pitching well, but how hes doing it. He has added a changeup to go with the rest of his arsenal, and the strikeout numbers have followed him at multiple minor league stops, enough for the Braves to start weighing whether he needs to be protected from the Rule 5 draft. For a prospect who spent previous years fighting to stay healthy, that is a sudden and meaningful decision for Atlanta to have on its hands. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Survived A Scary Acua Moment In A Huge Late Win
Ronald Acua Jr. gave Braves fans a brief scare when a foul ball struck his shin in the middle of a recent game, the kind of moment that can change the feel of an evening in a hurry. Atlanta was already in the kind of tight contest that leaves little margin for error, and the concern around one of its most important players briefly overshadowed the rest of the action.
The good news for the Braves is that the situation did not turn into something far worse, and the team was able to keep pushing toward a needed win. Atlanta edged the Reds 3-2 in 10 innings behind a strong outing from Chris Sale, a result that helped soften the anxiety from Acuas scare and kept the night focused on a hard-earned victory instead of an injury update. [Read more 🡒]