Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- The Atlanta Braves and Pittsburgh Pirates face critical roster weaknesses that could define their playoff chances this weekend.
- Atlanta's rotation depth is fragile due to age and injury history, while Pittsburgh's bullpen has collapsed with a skyrocketing ERA since May.
- Both teams must act aggressively at the trade deadline to address these flaws before it's too late.
Both the Atlanta Braves and the Pittsburgh Pirates would be in the postseason if the regular season ended today, meaning that this weekend's three-game series featuring these two NL foes has a little extra meaning. Both teams are eager to prove they can beat quality competition. The fact that they're both in playoff positioning doesn't mean they have perfect rosters, though.
There's a good chance this series will further emphasize the need for both the Braves and Pirates to address their biggest weakness at the trade deadline, or perhaps even sooner.
Braves cannot afford to leave starting pitching situation as is
Potential deadline targets: Tarik Skubal, Freddy Peralta, Joe Ryan, Robbie Ray, Michael Wacha
I wouldn't necessarily disagree with those who believe shortstop is the biggest concern for this team, considering the likelihood that Jorge Mateo will revert to the mediocre (at best) player he's always been and how mightily Ha-Seong Kim has struggled. But I also believe that the rest of the lineup is good enough to be fine even with lackluster production at one position. I do have concerns about this rotation, though.
When healthy, the Braves' rotation is rock-solid and deep. Chris Sale remains one of the game's best pitchers, Spencer Schwellenbach has performed like an ace when healthy his entire career, Spencer Strider has looked good this season, Bryce Elder looks to have taken a leap into stardom and even depth options like Martin Perez and Grant Holmes have been good, too. I didn't even mention young arms like Hurston Waldrep (who is on a rehab assignment as we speak), Didier Fuentes and JR Ritchie, whom the Braves could turn to at any moment.
There are a lot of ifs here, though. First and foremost, health is a major concern. Sale has been healthy this season, but he's also 37 years old. Schwellenbach and Waldrep haven't thrown a pitch yet. Strider has an injury history of his own, and Holmes is pitching with a partially torn UCL. There's also the question of whether we can trust Elder to pitch like this when the lights are bright and the innings pile up. Elder was an unexpected All-Star in 2023 and then struggled mightily down the stretch and into the postseason that year.
Adding one more reliable arm would give the Braves added insurance, which always comes in handy. And it also gives them a chance to field a unit that'd rival the Los Angeles Dodgers. Even if they miss out on Tarik Skubal and pivot to, say, Robbie Ray, a rotation featuring Sale, Schwellenbach, Strider, Ray and Elder would still be really tough to beat with this offense behind it.
Pirates must pursue immediate bullpen help
Potential deadline targets: Aroldis Chapman, Antonio Senzatela, Pete Fairbanks, Brooks Raley
The Pirates' situation is far more dire. In fact, their biggest weakness is so bad that it's impressive Pittsburgh is even in a playoff spot right now. The rotation is elite, and the lineup has exceeded expectations, but their bullpen is laughably bad — and it seems to only be getting worse.
Pittsburgh's 4.29 bullpen ERA might only be 18th in the Majors, but that number has risen to 4.99 (25th in MLB) since the start of May. The Pirates have also blown 12 saves this season, tying them for the fourth-most in the league. Now, their bullpen has thrown the eighth-most innings of any in the Majors, so it's possible that a heavy workload is impacting things. But whom in this group do you trust? The Pirates have seven relievers who have made at least 20 appearances, and there's far more bad than good.
Reliever | Appearances | ERA |
|---|---|---|
Gregory Soto | 29 | 2.86 |
Yohan Ramirez | 27 | 4.93 |
Dennis Santana | 27 | 5.47 |
Mason Montgomery | 24 | 4.94 |
Justin Lawrence | 23 | 5.32 |
Isaac Mattson | 21 | 4.12 |
Evan Sisk | 21 | 1.44 |
Now, Justin Lawrence has been traded to the Twins and Isaac Mattson is in Triple-A, but still — who are you relying on? Gregory Soto has taken over as the closer, but should he be given his history of command issues? Evan Sisk has been really good, but he hasn't pitched much in high-leverage situations this season, and he lacked big-league experience before 2026. Moving Carmen Mlodzinski to the bullpen should help, and Wilber Dotel has been a nice surprise, but again, who do you trust late in games against quality competition?
There are always a ton of relievers to consider around the deadline, and the Pirates should be ultra-aggressive as they attempt to make the playoffs for the first time in over a decade.
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