How Braves Rotation Looks After Deadline, Promise of Smith-Shawver & Holmes

To an extent, how the Atlanta Braves rotation looks now is mostly how it's going to look from here on out. The deadline has passed. They didn't get their impact, playoff-caliber guy. The bed has been made, and now we need to see how usable this bed is.

All that can be done now is look at the options on-hand and see what it means for the team.

The No. 1 arm on the staff is still Chris Sale. It would have taken a deal that moved heaven and earth to change that. However, who the No. 2 is really up for debate. Whether there is a true No. 2 is an adjacent debate.

Based on who is currently on the active roster, the options are the recently acquired Tyler Mahle, Bryce Elder, Grant Holmes and Martín Pérez. Other options are either hurt or in the minor leagues.

Reynaldo López is expected to be back. Hurston Waldrep is still up in the air. AJ Smith-Shawver, per general manager Alex Anthopoulos, is likely to get two more starts in Triple-A beffore heading back up to the majors.

There are a lot of question marks. But fortunately, there are still options here. Two of them who are already on the team may be the ones to watch going forward.

Promise of AJ Smith-Shawver

There is a very strong chance that Smith-Shawver becomes this team's X-factor once he returns to the major leagues. He's looking sharp down in Triple-A, and he was starting to establish himself in the rotation before he went down with a torn UCL last season.

In his lastest start for Gwinnett on Tuesday night. He 5 2/3 innings, allowed two earned runs. The first five innings were scoreless. He's almost there, but one more start to iron things out could do him some good.

With the status of the starting rotation, the Braves still need more help, and that's where the former top prospect will come in.

For the regular season, there may not be much they get out of him. If he gets one more start with Gwinnett, he'll be back up in about a week and a half. If they're cautious with him, he may average five to six innings and get, say, six or so starts. That gives the Braves between 30 and 36 innings from him when he gets back.

However, once they reach the postseason, he could end up being one of the arms they rely on the most. It helps that he's already been there before, albeit not with much success. A benefit is that he'll get reps in ahead of time. He was thrown to the wolves last time in 2024.

He'll bring a pitch mix that is based around an electric fastball that is sitting around 97 mph. He has the ability to change speeds with each pitch. His slider its in the low 90s, but his splitter is in the mid-80s, and the curveball sits in the upper 70s.

Grant Holmes' Bounce Back Start

Coming off the dissapointing trade deadline, Grant Holmes gave the Braves exactly what they needed from a starting pitcher.

He pitched six-plus scoreless innings on Tuesday night against the Miami Marlins. It was his deepest outing since June 3. He also only needed 72 pitches.

After the game, he said that he had made a key adjustment that helped him that night. Some of the work he put in helped him, in his words, get back to being smooth.

"Just so happened that the last couple bullpens, I was very loose, hitting my spots," he said to the media Tuesday night. "Just took it to the game today, and it worked."

Perhaps it's an adjustment that gets him back on track. Holmes is someone who has stepped up for the Braves in the past, and a chance in approach could mean he's due for another run.

His most notable example came on the last game of the season in 2024 when he pitched four scoreless innings and struck out seven. The call came when Chris Sale went down with an injury.

Last season, he stuck out 15 batters in a losing effort, to provide another standout example. Sometimes, everything clicks, and he's as dominant as anybody.

Don't expect what he gave on Tuesday in every start going forward, but he can lock in when he needs to, and that can end up helping the Braves.

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