This story was excerpted from Mark Bowman’s Braves Beat e-newsletter. To learn the total e-newsletter, click on right here. And subscribe to get it often in your inbox.
ATLANTA — Welcome to baseball’s season of optimism, throughout which you’ll neglect about final yr’s struggles and stay up for what this yr may deliver. Yeah, you’ll have some considerations when Spring Coaching opens subsequent week. That’s a part of being a fan. However so, too, is the chance to dream large.
As Braves pitchers and catchers put together for his or her first exercise on Tuesday, here’s a thought of these seven Braves.
Matt Olson: Olson has hit the fourth-most house runs since 2018 and he stands with Shohei Ohtani, Pete Alonso, Aaron Choose and Kyle Schwarber as the one gamers to hit 29-plus homers every of the previous 5 seasons. He began slowly after which completed robust each of the previous two seasons, notching a .969 OPS in his ultimate 45 video games final yr. He had a .929 OPS in April of 2023 and cruised towards franchise data in homers and RBIs. If he will get off to a very good begin, he’ll be within the thick of the MVP speak similar to he was three years in the past.
Austin Riley: Corridor of Famers Eddie Mathews (6), Andruw Jones (5) and Hank Aaron (4) are the one Braves who’ve had extra 30-plus homer seasons at age 26 or youthful than Riley, who had three straight such seasons from 2021-23. Accidents have stalled the third baseman’s rise to greatness the previous two years. The fractured hand suffered close to the tip of the 2024 season had a lingering influence in 2025. Such is the case with hand and wrist illnesses. However the stomach pressure that pressured Riley to overlook most of final yr’s second half received’t deter him as he enjoys one other 30-homer season this yr.
Ozzie Albies: Talking of hand accidents, the left wrist fracture Albies suffered simply after the All-Star break in 2024 restricted him final yr. There’s hope that the hamate fracture that ended his 2025 season will show to be as inconsequential because the pinky fracture suffered close to the tip of the 2022 season. Albies responded in 2023 by hitting 30-plus homers for the second time in three seasons. Does he have one other such season in him? Earlier than definitively shutting the door, take into account that he homered roughly as soon as each 26 at-bats after final yr’s All-Star break. That might equate to 25 homers over 650 at-bats.
Jurickson Profar: Will we see the Profar who hit 12 homers and had an .878 OPS over the primary 53 video games he performed after returning on July 2 from his 80-game PED suspension? Or ought to we be involved by the actual fact he had a .625 OPS over 23 video games in September? It’s secure to say the veteran nonetheless has one thing to show within the second yr of his three-year deal.
Spencer Strider: As irritating as components of final season may need been for Strider, there’s an opportunity he’ll at some point look again on 2025 because the yr he turned a extra full pitcher. Yeah, his velo was down a tick and his slider didn’t play prefer it did in 2023. However he added a curveball and routinely needed to battle with out his greatest stuff. Yet another yr away from a second elbow surgical procedure, the velo will tick again up, the slider may regain some chunk and that distinctive vertical motion he beforehand created ought to return. Pitchers can return from elbow surgical procedure the next season, but it surely usually takes greater than a yr to return to regular.
Michael Harris II: The 2022 NL Rookie of the Yr has performed simply 5 seasons above the highschool degree and 4 of these seasons have been spent within the Majors. He’s coming off one of many oddest seasons you’ll encounter. He produced the sport’s worst OPS (.551) via the All-Star break after which produced a 1.139 OPS over his first 31 video games after the break. He then constructed a woeful .327 OPS over his subsequent 24 video games. However as a substitute of dropping out, he tallied a 1.048 OPS over the ultimate 12 video games. Small pattern dimension? Positive. However the decided end by an excellent athlete creates purpose to foretell a 30/30 season this yr.
