Walt Weiss has ‘good feeling’ about Braves as opening day approaches
NORTH PORT, Fla. — The Braves begin the regular season in just over a week, so they’re entering the final stage of evaluating their roster in Florida before returning home.
“These guys are hungry,” new manager Walt Weiss said Tuesday. “They’ve seen some narratives out there the last few years — the focus all camp, whether it’s the drill work or the games. I have a good feeling as we stand here today. I don’t know what that means going into the season, if it translates. I think it will.
“I like where we’re at. I like the way camp has gone. I like our club.”
The Braves’ team is largely set. Matt Olson, Ozzie Albies, Austin Riley and Mauricio Dubon are the starting infielders. Ronald Acuña Jr., Michael Harris II, Mike Yastrzemski and Eli White are the primary outfielders. Drake Baldwin and Jonah Heim take the catcher spots.
That leaves three bench spots for players Jorge Mateo, Kyle Farmer, Dominic Smith and Ben Gamel.
“A lot of it, to be honest, it’s not always about spring training performance — you want to see guys do well, of course, when you’re fighting for a spot — a lot of it comes down to need,” Weiss said, “how the pieces of the puzzle fit together and how those last remaining spots complement the other spots. If you’re a bench guy, how many ways can you help us win a game? You get caught up in the stats for those guys, it’s tough for the role players to have pretty numbers. It’s hard to do. So it’s more about how many ways can you help us?”
Mateo possesses speed and defensive prowess as the core of his case. He could start at shortstop when the team rests Dubon or plays him in left. There’s value there until Ha-Seong Kim returns as soon as May and regains the starting shortstop job.
Farmer is versatile, capable of playing around the infield. That might make the difference in his candidacy. What will the Braves value most in their final bench spot?
Gamel, who’s had a nice spring, provides another outfielder. Smith, for instance, lacks the positional flexibility of others but offers a bit more offensive upside. His .750 OPS a season ago (in 63 games for San Francisco) was his best mark since 2020.
Pitching-wise, the Braves’ rotation picture is clearer because of injuries. Chris Sale, Spencer Strider, Grant Holmes and Reynaldo Lopez spearhead the group. Bryce Elder, who’s out of options — a reality that affected the team’s calculus entering the spring — will almost certainly be the fifth starter.
Will nonroster invitee Martin Perez, who’s struck out nine and walked two in nine innings this spring, make the team as a sixth starter/long reliever? That role would’ve gone to Joey Wentz, but a torn ACL ended his season. The Braves play 13 straight games to open the season, so another pitcher of that ilk would greatly benefit them.
The Braves justifiably feel giddy about their bullpen, which is headlined by Raisel Iglesias, Robert Suarez, Dylan Lee and Tyler Kinley. Aaron Bummer is also back for his third season with the club. That leaves two more spots, if Perez is included. The Braves could go to righty James Karinchak, who was a dynamic strikeout artist before injuries stalled his career. He’s looked lively all spring.
The team also awaits the returns of Kim and catcher Sean Murphy, who will drastically alter the lineup optionality. Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep could provide more pitching depth later this summer, but they’ll be out of mind for now while recovering from surgeries.
In all, it’s easy to see why the Braves are encouraged. They’re banking on multiple bounce-back performances, and their continuity leaves only several spots up for grabs. Of course, the roster is fluid. The bench and bullpen could look quite different within even a couple of weeks.
“There will be some tough decisions,” Weiss said. “And I know we’re talking about the last couple of spots in the bullpen, you’re thinking, ‘How big a deal can it be?’ But it matters. A win in April is just as valuable as a win in September. It’s still one win. So we want to get it right, but we also know it’s going to change a lot. Quickly. It’s going to change quickly. But that (initial) roster is always about, ‘What do we need now?’ So that might look different in two weeks.”
About the Author
Gabriel Burns is a general assignment reporter and features writer for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. After four years on the Braves beat, he's expanded his horizons and covers all sports. You'll find him writing about MLB, NFL, NBA, college football and other Atlanta-centric happenings.
