All eyes on Braves pitching staff with NLDS roster announcement

There is a lot to dissect with the Atlanta Braves’ NLDS roster vs. the Philadelphia Phillies.

The Atlanta Braves commence their first postseason series since winning the 2021 World Series, as they will take on the NL East rival Philadelphia Phillies in the NLDS.

Atlanta earned the No. 2 seed in the National League by getting the head-to-head tiebreaker over the New York Mets during the regular season. New York had to play in the NLWCS vs. the San Diego Padres in their best-of-three. While No. 6 Philadelphia had no issues putting away the No. 3 St. Louis Cardinals in their best-of-three series, New York has to watch its two rivals on the couch.

Here is who will be playing for the Braves in their best-of-five series vs. the division-rival Phillies.

Atlanta Braves NLDS roster vs. Philadelphia Phillies

Here is the Braves’ NLDS roster vs. the Phillies broken down by position group.

Atlanta Braves NLDS roster vs. Philadelphia Phillies: Pitchers

• Jesse Chavez
• Max Fried
• Raisel Iglesias
• Kenley Jansen
• Dylan Lee
• Collin McHugh
• A.J. Minter
• Charlie Morton
• Jake Odorizzi
• Jackson Stephens
• Spencer Strider
• Kyle Wright

Without question, this is the most important part of the Braves’ NLDS roster to discuss. The good news for Atlanta is Spencer Strider is indeed healthy enough to make the NLDS roster. He has not pitched in about a month after briefly going on the IL with an oblique injury. While Jake Odorizzi’s inclusion on the NLDS roster is a bit controversial, it has more to do with Tyler Matzek being hurt…

Odorizzi pitched a gem in Miami to clinch the division, but he has been inconsistent at best on the mound since being traded over to the Braves. The idea is he will be a long-inning guy or an emergency starter, much like what Atlanta will be getting out of Strider in this series. Matzek is dealing with some discomfort in his elbow. He is back in Texas being evaluated for his injury.

While Jesse Chavez and Collin McHugh have shown they can eat up innings out of the bullpen, having Odorizzi and Strider in these roles as well gives skipper Brian Snitker plenty of arms to work with. Although rookie Bryce Elder probably pitched well enough to merit inclusion on this roster, he may have to wait until the NLCS, or possibly the World Series, to play for the Braves.

Atlanta Braves NLDS roster vs. Philadelphia Phillies: Infielders

• Ehire Adrianza
• Orlando Arcia
• Vaughn Grissom
• Matt Olson
• Austin Riley
• Dansby Swanson

No real huge updates on the Atlanta infield here other than second baseman Ozzie Albies is not healthy enough to merit inclusion. Days after coming back from his broken leg, Albies broke his thumb. While the cast is off, the soonest we could see him return in a Braves uniform would have to be the NLCS now. Odds are, Ehire Adrianza is keeping his roster spot warm for the time being.

Atlanta Braves NLDS roster vs. Philadelphia Phillies: Outfielders

• Ronald Acuña Jr.
• Robbie Grossman
• Michael Harris II
• Guillermo Heredia
• Marcell Ozuna
• Eddie Rosario

Again, nothing overly surprising about the Braves’ outfield arrangement. The only noticeable thing is Marcell Ozuna’s inclusion in it. We should not expect Snitker to put him in left field in this series. Keeping his power bat on the bench is not the end of the world, but he may be a candidate to be swapped out for Albies if he is healthy enough to make the NLCS or World Series rosters for them.

Atlanta Braves NLDS roster vs. Philadelphia Phillies: Catchers

• William Contreras
• Travis d’Arnaud

As a surprise to no one, the best catching tandem looks to be in great shape for October baseball.

Overall, Atlanta has the roster to not only beat Philadelphia in this best-of-five, but to win the NL pennant and repeat as World Series champions. For Atlanta to do that, the Braves need to win 11 more games. It all starts with getting off to a hot start on Tuesday afternoon when the Phillies come to town for Game 1. The Battery will be rocking, so there are no excuses for the Braves here.

Atlanta is fortunate to have one of the deepest rosters in baseball to offset any potential injuries.