Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- The Atlanta Braves sit just two games ahead of the Phillies in the NL East with the Marlins also within striking distance at the All-Star break.
- GM Alex Anthopoulos faces a critical decision at the trade deadline that could determine whether Atlanta wins the division.
- The Braves must consider bold moves beyond their usual conservative approach to address glaring roster weaknesses.
At the MLB All-Star break, the Atlanta Braves sit atop the NL East standings with a 55-40 record. As impressive as this may sound, how they ended up in their current situation is quite underwhelming. Atlanta started the season as the best team in baseball and at one point had a double digit advantage on the second place Philadelphia Phillies.
We all knew the Braves sustaining the winning pace they displayed early in the season was unlikely, but did not expect the NL East race to tighten up as much as it has at the end of July. When the second half resumes at the end of this week, the Phillies will be just two games back of Atlanta while the Miami Marlins are also in the picture, just four games out of the division lead.
Braves GM Alex Anthopoulos has the chance to equip the Braves with what will be needed to run away with the division and remain World Series contenders at the trade deadline. However, for this to occur, he is going to have to step out of his comfort zone. If the 2026 season continues on the current trend, Atlanta could be in danger of missing the playoffs.
What's gone wrong for the Braves this season
It is weird to discuss the negatives of a team that is 14 games above .500 but the MLB season is marathon, not a sprint. There a factors about this team that can be identified as potential long-term harm. For starters, let's talk about injuries.
The Braves have faced a slew of injuries to big pieces like Ronald Acuña Jr., Spencer Schwellenbach, Spencer Strider and more, Even Michael Harris II has been on and off the IL all season. It is easy to say the team just needs to get healthy. The downfall to that wishful thinking is that this organization has not been fully healthy for multiple consecutive seasons so why would anyone bank on that happening in 2026?
In addition to injuries, the Braves are simply not getting the level of production they need from new additions as well as some familiar faces. Ha-Seong Kim and Mike Yazstremski were pieces added within the last year that was expected to lenghten the lineup and add some stability for Walt Weiss. So far, they have done just the opposite.
Aside from guys like Kim and Yazstremski, veteran third baseman Austin Riley is having the worst season of his career. This is a guy who has appeared in two All-Star games and has finished in the top 10 of MVP voting three times. So him hitting just .207 with only 9 homers at the All-Star break is certainly not going to cut it when he was expected to be a major power threat in the middle of the order.
A lack of offensive production in spots is not the only red flag the Braves should be addressing at the moment. The starting rotation is still in need of some help. Chris Sale remains about the only starter in the rotation Weiss can bank on. At one point, it looked like Bryce Elder may be returning to all-star form but as of late, has came back down to earth.
Perhaps the rough start for Riley is surprising but to be honest, all of the issues Atlanta is currently facing, anyone with common sense could have seen coming.
How Alex Anthopoulos can fix it (and why it has to be different than year's past)
Alex Anthopoulos tends to get a lot of praise for the moves he made back in 2021 to bring a World Series title to Atlanta (and rightfully so). However, we never discuss the hard truth about how acquiring Joc Pederson, Eddie Rosario, Jorge Soler and Adam Duvall was a shot in the dark that just so happened to work.
The Braves snuck into the playoffs with just 88 regualr season wins and was able to take advantage of the opportunity they were given. 2026 will be nothing like that.
The Atlanta organization is notorious for trying to solve issues either internally or for a team-friendly price. The fact of the matter is none of their current needs can be successfully addressed taking either one of those routes.
Perhaps the failed Upton brothers expirement years ago have turned the Braves away from going all in at the trade deadline, but that is their only chance to create any separation in the NL East and most certainly the only way they will be able to compete with teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers come October.
Players that make sense for the Braves to acquire at the trade deadline
Let's be clear from the beginning here. These players are not necessarily rumored to be targets for the Atlanta Braves but rather individuals who if the Braves could acquire could take them to the next level.
Tarik Skubal, Starting Pitcher (Detroit Tigers)
This would be the home run of the trade deadline. Adding Tarik Skubal to the Braves' starting rotation would make them a far more dangerous team. Imagine the excitement manager Walt Weiss would feel being able to run out Chris Sale and Tarik Skubal back to back in a playoff series.
We have already discussed how the Braves typically like to remain conservative at the trade deadline even if they are buyers. However, for Atlanta to land an arm like Skubal, they would have to give up quite a bit. It would most likely take two or maybe even three top-rated prospects for the Detroit Tigers to even consider moving the all-star lefty.
Another note to make is that Skubal would most likely be a rental piece for the remainder of the 2026 season. For the Braves to truly consider acquiring Skubal knowing he will walk at season's end, they would have to feel like a championship would be guaranteed. From an organization with a conservative mindset, it is hard to believe they will ever get that feeling. Skubal is not likely to land with the Braves, but it sure would make a lot of sense.
Jo Adell, Outfielder (Los Angeles Angels)
This past winter, it would've been hard to believe that the Atlanta Braves would need another outfielder at the midway point. At one point, Atlanta was projected to run out Jurickson Profar, Michael Harris II and Ronald Acuña Jr. from left to right in the outfield. Profar of course doubled down on PED use and was suspended for the full season while both Harris II and Acuña Jr. have battled nagging injuries on and off this year.
Adding Mike Yazstremski seemed like a genius move to add depth once the devastating Profar news broke, but Yaz has been less than productive this season and is fresh on the IL himself. The Braves need more consistency in left field.
Jo Adell of the Los Angeles Angels seems like a perfect fit for the Braves. While he has primarly played right field this season, he does have experience in all three outfield spots. Adell is a solid defender who could also provide the power that Austin Riley is lacking this season. Adell has hit 30+ homers in his last two seasons and currently has 12 at the All-Star break.
Knowing the Angels really need to plan for a long rebuild, their asking price for Adell would likely start too high for Atlanta. Adell is in his 7th season with the Angels and is currently on a one-year deal. If the Angels decide to go young and start from scratch, Adell fits the mold of who would be the first out the door in their fire sale. He also happens to fit the mold of exactly what the Braves need.
Zach Neto, Shortstop (Los Angeles Angels)
For a struggling team, the Los Angeles Angels sure do have some pieces that other teams will be calling about at the deadline. If the Braves can't land Adell (or if they want to kill two birds with one stone), here is another potential addition also from the Angels. Shortstop Zach Neto.
Ha-Seong Kim has been arguably the biggest disappointment for the Braves this season and it has left them trying everything at shortstop. Jorge Mateo has seem some time there, as well as Mauricio Dubón and even prospect Jim Jarvis.
Jarvis has shown flashes of potentially being the shortstop of the Braves' future but it's hard to say he is ready right now. Adding Neto has all the perks of what adding Adell would, just at a different position. The 25-year-old shortstop needs one more homer in 2026 and he will have posted his third consecutive 20+ homer season.
The one thing that does make Neto even more intriguing is the fact that he is under team control throught the 2030 season. This cavaet alone will make Neto a little bit more challenging to acquire. This could be a scenario in which a team has to take a risk and be aware they are overpaying for a need they have.
Should the Braves acquire Neto, if Jim Jarvis is not in the trade and continues to emerge, Atlanta could have some real comfortable flexibility with their lineup card.
Neto could play multiple infield spots if someone needed a day off or is injured and is more than a good enough hitter to take over the DH role, which believe it or not is another area the Braves could afford to strengthen.
Drake Baldwin has seen a lot of time as a DH this season but if he is in that spot than the catcher's position could use an upgrade. Players like Dominic Smith deserve nothing but love but the reality is to win a championship, the Braves really need 1-9 to be a threat all the time. Adding Neto could help accomplish that.
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