The Atlanta Braves' spring training experience has been a mixed bag, to say the least.
After an impressive 5-2 start to the spring slate, the Braves have won only one of their last five outings ahead of Friday's clash with the Minnesota Twins. Even though exhibition games are relatively meaningless, Atlanta fans certainly wouldn't complain if Brian Snitker's club built up some momentum ahead of Opening Day.
Although the team's recent spring performances have left something to be desired, two specific Braves veterans have caught Snitker's attention for all the right reasons.
Braves Spring Training News: Brian Snitker Praises Grant Holmes, Hector Nerris
The Braves had an off-day on Wednesday, resulting in pitchers Grant Holmes and Hector Nerris practicing against minor-league hitters. After the session was done, MLB.com's Mark Bowman reported that Snitker "was pleased with what he saw" from the duo, which bodes well for their Opening Day outlook.
Snit was pleased with what he saw from Grant Holmes and Hector Nerris as both faced Minor League hitters during the Braves' offday on Wednesday. Holmes threw four innings and still seems to be in line to begin the season in the rotation.
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) March 6, 2025
Holmes, 28, is a former L.A. Dodgers 2014 first-round pick who's yet to live up to his draft potential. The Conway, SC native has been in the Braves organization since 2022 but didn't make his MLB debut until last season, going 2-1 with a 3.56 ERA and 1.185 WHIP while averaging 9.2 strikeouts per nine innings across seven starts.
He's carried that success into spring training, having posted a 1.80 ERA with four strikeouts across five innings in two starts so far.
Meanwhile, Neris is a newcomer after splitting the 2024 campaign between the Chicago Cubs and Houston Astros. The Dominican reliever made 62 appearances between the two clubs, registering a career-high 10 wins while pitching to a 4.10 ERA with 64 strikeouts across 59 1/3 innings.
Neris only signed with the Braves less than a week ago, meaning he's yet to make his spring training debut. Fortunately, Atlanta still has just under 20 spring training games left for the 35-year-old righty to continue impressing Snitker & Co.
Assuming the pitching duo continues to perform well, they could play a big role in Atlanta potentially winning its seventh division title since 2018. Speaking of which, the Braves will head into the rest of spring as FanDuel Sportsbook's +135 favorite to win the NL East in 2025.
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