"As long as all five Opening Day starters don't hit the 60-Day IL at some point during this season like they did during the 2025 season, this rotation should be fine and will be improved over what we saw last season. Assuming there isn't another catastrophic rash of injuries, that fact alone should help the Braves improve upon the disappointment of 2025."
"They're already missing three potential candidates to start, as Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep both had to undergo elbow surgery that'll keep them out for a significant period of time and Joey Wentz will miss the entire season due to a torn right ACL. So right out of the gate, the organizational depth is already being challenged."
"Sale will be entering his age-37 season and as usual for Atlanta's current head of the rotation (and for the rest of the team, really) the key will be health. As long as Sale stays on the mound, he should be effective. Assuming he doesn't have a complete capitulation to Father Time, Sale should be good for something in the neighborhood of 11 strikeouts per nine innings."
The Braves rotation faces both optimism and uncertainty heading into the season. Avoiding the catastrophic injury pattern from 2025 would represent improvement alone. However, three significant losses—Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep requiring elbow surgery and Joey Wentz suffering a torn ACL—immediately challenge organizational depth. Chris Sale, entering his age-37 season, remains the rotation's anchor. His effectiveness depends primarily on health and avoiding age-related decline. Projections suggest Sale could deliver a 3.15 ERA, 3.06 FIP, and 4.0 WAR. Despite missing key prospects, the rotation retains potential to be solid and reliable if health permits.
Read at Battery Power
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