Finding reasons to watch the Atlanta Braves in the final month of the 2025 MLB season is increasingly difficult. Whether it is a dollar-store bullpen blowing a game or once reliable veterans unable to execute the fundamentals, there is no shortage of viable frustrations. Still, fans have at least a handful of reasons to continue to tune in September.
Four Braves players have still given it their all despite Atlanta's struggles, and they deserve to be recognized before September is over.
1. Drake Baldwin, C
Heading into the 2025 season, there was a sense of belief that Sean Murphy and Chadwick Tromp would be Atlanta's early answers behind home plate. However, a rib injury that Murphy suffered opened the door for Drake Baldwin's debut, and the rookie has taken the opportunity and run with it. The biggest surprise piece of Baldwin's emergence was his defense, which has been far better than expected. His ability to call a game behind the plate and frame pitches has left reason to wonder about Murphy's future.
While the Baldwin is the better defender, the rookie's far superior bat has also kept him in manager Brian Snitker's lineup, slashing .280/.352/.457 with 15 home runs and 62 RBIs in 103 games. It also helps that Murphy's bat hasn't been as productive as it used to be, with a .202 batting average and 16 HRs, 45 RBIs, and a career-worst 30.9% strikeout rate.
So much of what Baldwin brings is a consistent level of performance that had been taken for granted through the rest of Atlanta's lineup. To watch the rookie catcher bring this for a full season while experienced veterans are struggling. At least there is one piece Braves fans can sit back and enjoy watching, knowing Baldwin is going to stabilize the backstop position for years to come.
2. Hurston Waldrep, RHP
It took only two starts for Hurston Waldrep to become must-watch not only for Braves fans but for those that looking to keep up with the best pitching talents emerging. The young starter has a 1.7 WAR in only six games started this season. It is incredible to watch the dominance the rookie pitcher is displaying against quality lineups. Waldrep hasn't needed any adjustments or hit the typical rookie rough patch that starters often endure while working to establish themselves.
This isn't to say that this still won't be the case, but pointing out the incredible dominance and pointing out how important it is to sit back and enjoy as long as it will last. Waldrep is 4-0 with a 1.01 ERA through 42.2 innings pitched. The strikeout numbers (33 Ks) aren't overwhelming, but this is due to the starter's attack style.
Not having overwhelming stuff has forced Waldrep to adjust and attack hitters seeking out contact. It has proven to be the missing piece and pushed Waldrep into rare air in his first six starts of the 2025 season. There is also a strong portion of the fan base wondering why we endured such awful options when Waldrep has obviously been ready for the moment. Regardless, the incredible start continues to be the best story of the final two months.
3. Chris Sale, LHP
Around missing time due to a rib injury, Chris Sale has been the most consistent force in Atlanta's rotation. While not reaching the heights of Waldrep, there is a level of belief that this production can be maintained not only going into September but in a key 2026 season. Any variation of the Braves' rotation for next season is going to start with Sale at the top. A part of this is due to the All-Star southpaw's performance, and another due to the frustrating regression from Spencer Strider.
The Atlanta veteran has stepped into the void and struck out 123 hitters in 95.1 innings pitched. He has a 3.1 WAR, giving the Braves a great chance to win anytime he steps on the mound. If not for the frustrating rib injury, the lefty would be defending last year's NL CY Young win. Regardless, Atlanta has two great stalwarts locked into the rotation to watch in the season's final month.
As long as Sale can continue to perform at this level, the starter is going to continue to be an incredibly vital piece of a roster that has already lost too many quality arms. At least it gives Atlanta fans one more player to watch every five days.
4. 2nd-Half Michael Harris, OF
This is an incredibly important distinction, with the first half of the season demanding that Michael Harris be demoted. Scraping above the Mendoza line, the center fielder was unable to put together at-bats that were anything close to competitive. However, a stance adjustment has drastically altered the results, making the elite defender an offensive force in the second half of the season.
Since the 2025 MLB All-Star break ended, Harris is slashing .321/.339/.582 with 11 home runs, 33 RBIs, and four walks in his last 45 games.
Watching Harris return to form while Jurickson Profar has heated up as well has given Atlanta fans a glimpse of what this outfield was supposed to be. If both Profar and Harris can maintain this energy throughout September and into the 2026 season, the Braves are a huge step in the direction of contending once again.
No matter whether or not that is the case, there is no denying just how fun Harris has been to watch for the last weeks of the season. Going from one of the league's worst hitters to the most reliable has been a fun transformation, breathing life back into his career and leaving hope that the first three months were an outlier from one of Atlanta's most important building blocks.