3 Burning Questions Facing the Atlanta Braves Midway Through Spring Training

The Atlanta Braves returning to the top of the NL East could be contingent on Drake Baldwin taking a leap behind the plate, back-end starters coming into their own and the shortstop position contributing more on offense.

Jupiter, Florida, USA; Atlanta Braves designated hitter Drake Baldwin (75) hits an RBI single against the Miami Marlins during the third inning at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. — The Atlanta Braves' path to the postseason will be a tumultuous one, even though they remain one of the most talented teams in MLB.

In order to clinch an eight consecutive playoff berth, the Braves will have to overcome some tough injury luck yet again, in addition to navigating a division chock full of potential powerhouses. Their ability to do so will be tested this spring, both in the leadup to the regular season and the early days of it.

Reporting live from spring training down in Florida, Fastball On SI staff writer Sam Connon broke down the three biggest questions hanging over the Braves midway through camp.

Will Drake Baldwin emerge as a true MLB catcher?

The Braves got dealt a tough blow when Sean Murphy was ruled out 4-to-6 weeks with a fractured rib on Monday, costing them a bona fide All-Star behind the plate.

Veteran Travis d'Arnaud isn't around to step up anymore, as he joined the Los Angeles Angels in free agency following five seasons in Atlanta. The only other catcher who saw MLB action with the Braves in 2024 was Chadwick Tromp, who is about to turn 30 and has just 151 career big league at-bats under his belt.

That leaves the door wide open for Drake Baldwin, who isn't even on the Braves' 40-man roster.

Baldwin is ranked as the No. 1 prospect in Atlanta's farm system. MLB Pipeline has him pegged as the No. 62 prospect in baseball, which is good for seventh-highest among catchers.

Since getting drafted by the Braves in 2022, Baldwin has hit .272 with 32 home runs, 50 doubles, 158 RBIs and an .807 OPS in 257 minor league games. So far this spring, he is batting .333 with an .883 OPS.

Baldwin figures to be a key part of the Braves' future, even once Murphy returns to full strength. But if he can prove to be a starting-caliber catcher right out of the gates, then Atlanta could find themselves with one of the best one-two catching punches in the sport all season long.

How will the back end of the rotation shake out?

Max Fried is gone, as is Charlie Morton. Even Spencer Strider is likely to miss the first month of the regular season recovering from elbow surgery.

Reigning NL Cy Young winner Chris Sale remains atop the rotation, supported by Reynaldo López and Spencer Schwellenbach. While those three give the Braves' rotation a high floor, the group's ceiling could be decided by who fills out the back end.

Grant Holmes posted a 3.56 ERA and 1.1 WAR in 68.1 innings last season, but just seven of his 26 appearances were starts. Ian Anderson may have posted a 3.25 ERA across his first 30 MLB starts, but he hasn't pitched an inning in MLB since his ERA ballooned to 5.00 in 2022.

Homegrown righties AJ Smith-Shawver and Hurston Waldrep, who have both already made their MLB debuts, are among the most hyped pitching prospects the Braves have. And yet, the former got shelled in the postseason and the latter made two starts in June before getting sent back down.

Bryce Elder also saw his ERA climb to 6.52 in 10 starts last season after he was an All-Star in 2023.

Atlanta has plenty of options when it comes to their fourth and fifth starters. Each one seems like a wild card, though, so the last few weeks of spring training will surely prove critical to how the race plays out.

Can anyone challenge Orlando Arcia at shortstop?

Orlando Arcia was an All-Star in 2023. He was anything but in 2024.

Arcia's batting average and OPS dropped from .264 and .741 to .218 and .625, respectively. And after being a plus defender during his time with the Milwaukee Brewers, Arcia has posted -7 defensive runs saved over the past two seasons.

The most notable outside competitor the Braves brought in to go against Arcia is Nick Allen, who they acquired in a trade with the Athletics. The 26-year-old is a career .209 hitter with a .537 OPS, but he is batting .417 with a .962 OPS so far this spring.

Nacho Alvarez Jr. is the Braves' No. 5 prospect, per MLB Pipeline. However, the 21-year-old was 0-for-6 in the Grapefruit League before he suffered a wrist injury last week.

Alvarez is slated to return to action in the coming days, giving him a chance to reset the board and come back out firing on all cylinders. Even if he doesn't match Allen's exhibition numbers, Alvarez could do enough to prove some doubters wrong.

Arcia's job is right there for the taking. Now it's just a matter of whether or not someone can actually snatch it.

Related MLB Stories

• RASMUSSEN FINALLY DEBUTS: Tampa Bay gave Drew Rasmussen his first start of spring training against Atlanta on Monday, and he wound up tossing 2.0 stellar innings. CLICK HERE

• BRAVES PITCHER EARNS REDEMPTION: A shaky first frame led to AJ Smith-Shawver getting pulled, but Atlanta was able to insert the young righty back into its spring training showdown with Tampa Bay. CLICK HERE

• ISAAC, MORGAN TALK SPRING TRAINING: Two of the highest-rated first base prospects in baseball, Xavier Isaac and Tre' Morgan, are seemingly joined at the hip. CLICK HERE

Follow Fastball On SI on social media

Continue to follow our Fastball On SI coverage on social media by liking us on Facebook and by following us on Twitter @FastballFN.

You can also follow Sam Connon on Twitter @SamConnon.