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The 2023 Atlanta Braves have been on a magnificent run this season, as they remain the best team in the majors ahead of the Baltimore Orioles and Tampa Bay Rays. After being eliminated early in the playoffs last year early, the Braves are on track to rectify their sudden collapse with their strong play this year. Ronald Acuña Jr. is on track to win the National League MVP, and Matt Olson will likely finish in the top five for the award as well.
The Braves have arguably the most potent lineup one through nine in the entire MLB, and that will not change anytime soon. With many of their counterparts bolstering their roster at the trade deadline, Atlanta was relatively quiet, as they acquired relievers Pierce Johnson and Brad Hand as supplementary pieces to Raisel Iglesias and Colin McHugh. The Braves also swung a deal with the Royals for infielder Nicky Lopez.
Atlanta is stacked for the stretch run, but their starting pitching remains a big question mark heading into the latter part of the season. Old reliable Max Fried just returned from an injury, but youngsters like Kyle Wright and Michael Soroka have been struggling immensely this season. As the Braves remain a top World Series favorite, here are a couple of moves their fanbase must anticipate.
Activate Kyle Wright
The Braves are starting to get some of their starting pitching depth back at the perfect time. Fried will rejoin a rotation spearheaded by Spencer Strider and Bryce Elder, but getting depth arms back as well is going to be crucial in the playoffs. Atlanta didn't go all-in on someone like Jack Flaherty or Lucas Giolito because they likely have high hopes for Fried and Wright, who is set to return from the injured list soon as well.
Wright was stellar for Atlanta last year, as he led the majors with 21 wins last year, making him the only pitcher to eclipse the 20-win mark in the National League. Two stints on the injury list this season have limited his production, but Wright is capable of turning it on when needed, and he will play a big role in the Braves starting rotation once he is activated off the injured list.
Promote AJ Smith-Shawver
AJ Smith-Shawver was promoted to the majors earlier this season, but he struggled in his fourth outing with the team and was quickly sent back to Triple-A. Smith-Shawver's 4.57 ERA in the MLB this season isn't horrific, but the Braves didn't really have time to let him develop in the MLB given their pursuit of the top seed in the NL.
Smith-Shawver was recalled for a spot start on July 30th, but he's spent the majority of his time in the minors this season. Given that he has already been exposed to the majors this season, and rosters will be expanding at the beginning of September, it seems reasonable to expect Smith-Shawver to find his way to the majors at some point again this season
Activate Jesse Chavez/Nick Anderson
The Braves bullpen has been remarkable this season. Led by Raisel Iglesias and Collin McHugh, there has been a reliable mix of youngsters and veterans who are excelling in their role. However, there are two missing pieces who will be crucial come the postseason in Jesse Chavez and Nick Anderson.
Chavez has pitched 29 innings with a terrific 1.55 ERA and 36 punchouts, while Anderson has been available for 35.1 innings and posted a 3.06 ERA. The success of Chavez and Anderson has been fairly underrated, but they will be important pieces once the playoffs roll around, especially in high-leverage situations.
It may take awhile for both of these guys to shake off the rust once they return to the hill, but they could have massive roles in the postseason if they are able to regain their form from earlier this season, making them crucial pieces set to return in the near future for the Braves.
