What Could the Future of the Atlanta Braves Rotation Look Like?

The Atlanta Braves have a number of options who could become the future of the team's starting rotation

The Atlanta Braves' rotation has a good future, but who will ultimately stand out is still taking shape | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

As of late, we’ve had a look at the Atlanta Braves’ future. Two of their top three prospects, Didier Fuentes and JR Ritchie, have seen action for the team. Regardless of the results, both are expected to establish themselves over time.

For the time being, the question remains how they’ll fit into the equation in the near future. Eventually, that won’t be the case.

Chris Sale will ultimately retire in the next couple of years. That will open a spot. Reynaldo López and Grant Holmes will ultimately give way to those who are next as well.

With the current rotation on the older side, and the emergence of some younger arms the last couple of seasons, it begs the question of how this rotation could look in, say, two or three years.

This is a total educated guess. It’s unknown who will sign as a free agent or who could be traded.

Imagine saying at the conclusion of the 2023 season that Sale, López and Holmes would be starters for the team by the end of the following season. None of them were on the team the year before. You’d probably be surprised to find out what ensued for Bryce Elder after the All-Star season or that Max Fried is in pinstripes up in the Bronx.

You just don’t know. But that’s the fun in this thought experiment. We’ll look at who is currently on the team and in the system and try to get a sense of what the rotation could look like in three seasons from now (2029). Let’s dive in.

Who Arms Who Could Stick Around?

Naturally, Fuentes and Ritchie can be expected to be part of the equation. But they’re going to be in some current young or established competition. While they’ve all faced major injuries, Spencer Strider, Spencer Schwellenbach, Hurston Waldrep and AJ Smith-Shawver could still prove to be arms in the rotation at that time.

Strider has a club option for the 2029 season for $22 million. He’s set to make that same salary beginning in 2027, so it won’t be a dollar amount the team isn’t accustomed to for him. Depending on his health and his performance during that time, the Braves will determine if it’s worth picking up. However, the expectation right now is that he will be around as a member of the rotation.

For others, it’s all about health. As soon as Smith-Shawver started to establish himself in the big leagues, he underwent Tommy John surgery. This injury follows other injuries that have kept him from becoming a mainstay in previous seasons.

Similarly, Schwellenbach had become a key member of the rotation, but he hasn’t seen the mound in nearly a year. Waldrep got his chance late last season, and then it was revealed he had an elbow injury. He is the most likely, at this time, to see action this season.

All three of these arms haven’t pitched enough yet to enter the arbitration phase of their careers. Unless they’re non-tendered, they would all still be locked into the Braves system come 2029.

Who’s Coming Up?

While these two arms were rightfully the storylines of the week, more of the Braves' future is still coming up the pipeline. Their top prospect in the system, Cam Caminiti, is getting his first taste of High-A ball. The 19-year-old left-hander is still a few years out.

According to his prospect profile on MLB.com, he is projected to reach the major leagues in 2027. That’s sometime next season. Initially, it was looking more like it would be 2028, but either way, it sets him up to potentially be in the Braves’ rotation for the 2029 season.

Having all three current top prospects find their way into the rotation would certainly be an achievement for the organization. However, somebody is going to have to find themselves in the bullpen or with another team.

We’ve named at least seven options for the rotation in the future, and this only includes younger arms who are currently with the team. For all we know, Sale decides he wants to pitch at age 40, and the Braves give him another year. That is an example of one spot that could quickly go away.

There’s no clear projection of what the rotation could look like. But there are plenty of options to mix and match how it could shape up. We’ll do three potential examples for example’s sake, and we’ll include one as a future closer. Drumroll...

Spencer Strider
Didier Fuentes
Cam Caminiti
JR Ritchie
AJ Smith-Shawver
Closer: Spencer Schwellenbach

Spencer Strider
AJ Smith-Shawver
Spencer Schwellenbach
Hurston Waldrep
Didier Fuentes
Closer: JR Ritchie

Chris Sale (signs an extra year)
Spencer Schwellenbach
Spencer Strider
Hurston Waldrep
AJ Smith-Shawver
Closer: Didier Fuentes

Spencer Strider
JR Ritchie
Didier Fuentes
Future trade acquisition
Future free agent signing
Closer: Hurston Waldrep

You may be starting to see how complicated this is. You may had some of these projections. You make like one. One of them could be how it looks in 2029. Most likley, none of them will be the case.

In the end, it makes for a fun thought experiments to explore all of the possibilities. It's not that far into the future, but there are a number of factors that still have to play out along the way.

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