If the Braves are going to make a real October run, the spotlight won’t just land on the usual headliners. It’s going to fall on a mix of established stars and a reliever most casual fans still may not know.
That’s how postseason baseball works. One month, one hot hand, one unexpected name can change everything.
Chris Sale sits at the center of it all. He is the most important player on Atlanta’s roster heading into October, and the Braves’ path through the postseason likely runs through him.
With so many questions behind him in the rotation, Atlanta probably needs to win most - if not all - of his starts to have a deep run. Sale’s playoff numbers tell one story, with a 6.35 ERA over 34 innings, but those outings came with the Red Sox, when injuries were hammering him.
He is a different pitcher now, and he has a chance to build a legacy in Atlanta that lasts.
Ronald Acuña Jr. is the other star the Braves simply cannot afford to lose. The scare on Tuesday night was troubling because his presence means so much to the lineup.
Acuña has had another season interrupted by injuries, but he’s been rolling over the last month, hitting .368 with seven home runs in his past 23 games. Some of his best work came against the Phillies, in games that helped lock up the division.
When he’s right, Atlanta looks dangerous.
Then there’s Didier Fuentes, the kind of postseason weapon that can sneak up on everyone outside the clubhouse. He hasn’t gotten enough national attention, but that’s about to change.
Fuentes has put together a 1.82 ERA over 69.1 innings out of the bullpen, and his value goes beyond the numbers. He can give the Braves multiple innings, and because he entered this season as a starter, there’s even a chance he stretches to three innings in October if needed.
Don’t be surprised if he ends up leading the team in innings pitched by the time the month is over. In the biggest moments, he’s the arm Atlanta may trust most late.
Atlanta also needs another starter to step up behind Sale, and Tyler Mahle looks like the best bet. Maybe that role ends up going to Martin Perez, but Mahle has been outstanding since the trade deadline.
In eight starts, he has posted a 1.28 ERA, and if he keeps pitching like that, this could end up being one of the great deadline pickups in recent memory. October is a different kind of test, but Mahle has already given the Braves a reason to believe they have another arm they can count on.
In Other News...
Ronald Acuna Jr. Just Gave The Braves Their Biggest Playoff Fear
Ronald Acua Jr. exited the game against the Cincinnati Reds after fouling a ball off his left leg and collapsing on the field, a scene that immediately put the Braves on edge. After receiving medical attention, he got up and walked off under his own power, with Brewer Hicklen taking his place.
For Atlanta, the concern goes well beyond one at-bat. Acua is central to everything the Braves do, and any injury scare involving a player with his history of leg issues lands with extra weight at this time of year, when the margin for error gets thinner and every close call feels bigger than it should. [Read more 🡒]
Ronald Acua Jr. Just Put Atlantas Playoff Hopes On Edge
Ronald Acua Jr. had been giving Atlanta exactly the kind of September spark the Braves hoped for after he missed significant time earlier in the season with injuries. His strong stretch helped steady a club that is trying to get itself in order for the playoffs, where every healthy bat and every electric presence matters a little more.
Now the Braves are waiting again after Acua had to leave a game when he fouled a ball off his leg, and there has not yet been an update on how serious it is. For a team already balancing October preparation with the need to keep its best players on the field, his availability has suddenly become one of the most important questions hanging over the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Playoff Roster Could Include Some Very Unexpected Names
With the Braves already locked into the postseason, the next roster conversation has turned from who is available to who might be useful in October. That has opened the door to a few names that would have seemed far-fetched a few months ago, including players who have yet to appear in a regular-season game for Atlanta this year. Some are working back from injuries, others bring minor league experience, and the front office is weighing every angle as the playoff picture sharpens.
Joe Jimnez, Chuckie Robinson, Maverick Handley, Patrick Clohisy and Tyler Uberstine are all part of that unusual mix of possibilities. Their cases underscore how flexible postseason roster construction can become when health and matchups are in play, and how quickly a team can look beyond the familiar depth chart once October arrives. The Braves still have decisions to make, and the final group could include at least one unexpected addition. [Read more 🡒]