Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- The Atlanta Braves have turned a major preseason vulnerability into a massive strength by building elite pitching depth despite enduring several key injuries.
- Hurston Waldrep is healthy and likely heading to Triple-A to stay built up as a starter, joining a deep wave of elite pitching prospects waiting in the wings.
- This overwhelming surplus of elite arms gives Atlanta a massive margin for error and a distinct strategic advantage over rivals heading into October.
The Atlanta Braves built up an expansive division lead early in the year, but it has dwindled away these past few weeks. The second-place Philadelphia Phillies are within four games, with considerably more forward momentum on their side.
And yet, it's worth keeping the faith, Braves fans. Even with Ronald Acuña Jr. on ice (again) due to a hamstring injury, the Braves are teeming with production, both at the plate and on the mound. Plus, one of their biggest preseason areas of concern — the depth of their starting rotation — is about to become a complete non-issue.
Hurston Waldrep trending toward starting reps in Triple-A
The Braves recently reinstated 24-year-old Hurston Waldrep after he began the season on the IL. Waldrep underwent offseason elbow surgery but recovered on a quick timeline and has made a couple appearances out of the Braves bullpen already.
And yet, according to Braves manager Walt Weiss, Atlanta does not want to "decondition" Waldrep as a starter. That means Atlanta with either move Grant Holmes to the bullpen, expand the rotation to six, or most likely, send Waldrep down to Triple-A Gwinnett to get more innings under his belt.
Weiss said they don't want to decondition Waldrep as a starter. It also feels like Lopez will get another start. So, barring an unexpected decision to move Holmes to the pen or to go to a six-man rotation, I'm guessing Waldrep will go back down to make additional starts.
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) June 27, 2026
This is a good problem to have for Atlanta. Even with Spencer Schwellenbach, Spencer Strider and AJ Smith-Shawver all on the IL, the Braves' rotation is deep enough that Waldrep—a breakout star in 2025—does not have a clear home on the major league roster.
Depth has been Atlanta's bugaboo for several seasons now. Injuries simply refuse to leave this team alone. To be in a place where multiple MLB-caliber starters are out of commission and the rotation is still operating damn near full capacity is a dream.
Hurston Waldrep isn't the only ace up Atlanta's sleeve
Waldrep put up a 2.88 ERA with 55 strikeouts across 56.1 innings for the Braves last season. He leaned primarily on his splitter, against which opponents hit .150 and whiffed 45.4 percent of the time. His barrel rate (4.2 percent), which measures contact quality, sat in MLB's 96th percentile.
He is a legitimate, postseason-caliber starter who is only beginning to realize his potential. There's injury rust to shake off, sure, but when the time comes for Atlanta to reintroduce Waldrep to its rotation, he's primed to execute.
And it's not just Waldrep. Spencer Strider is expected to return from his elbow issue late in the campaign. Spencer Schwellenbach's season is on the ropes, but AJ Smith-Shawver is on the right track in his Tommy John recovery and could be ready to roll out toward the end of the season, too.
J.R. Ritchie, Atlanta's No. 2 prospect, is still waiting in the wings. He struggled in his first taste of MLB action, but he's a tremendous talent, and we know the Braves can dial in young arms quicker than most teams.
Between Owen Murphy, Garrett Baumann and Drue Hackenberg, the Braves are loaded with Triple-A arms who are knocking on the door.
Depth has become a pronounced strength for this Braves pitching staff. Chris Sale and Bryce Elder have pitched at an All-Star level all season, while Grant Holmes, Martín Pérez and Reynaldo López all continue to deliver results.
So, the Braves are in a funk. The lineup has entered a cold spell. The Padres of all teams swept them. But under no circumstances should the Braves fear the Phillies. Not yet, at least. When looking toward the postseason, the Braves are deeper—in terms of both bats and arms. The Phillies are a regular-season dynamo. That is not much of a surprise. But if forced to determine which of these teams projects better in October, when all the cards are on the table, Atlanta simply has a lot more ammo at its disposal. A much, much wider margin for error.
Atlanta's sights remain set on the Dodgers and NL pennant. The division crown is up for grabs, and the Braves need to get the car back into gear, but these short-term perils are not of major concern.
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