Perhaps mercifully, the Atlanta Braves series finale against the Miami Marlins was rained out on Sunday. This was on the heels of another shutout loss that left the Braves 1-8 in a miserable start to the season. It doesn't help matters knowing that no team in MLB history has managed to start the year 0-7 as Atlanta did and make the postseason. It is impossible to have scripted a worse start for a team that was expected to be one of the lone challengers to the Dodgers in the National League.
While it is still theoretically possible, it is hard to buy into this team. Yes, the talent is immense and they should be far better than their record suggests. However, the lack of fire and urgency in the first two weeks of the season cannot be ignored. With this in mind, let's look at the Braves who deserve the most blame for the miserable start.
1. Atlanta Braves Ownership
Alex Anthopoulos has shown that when he is given the ability to spend, Atlanta will have a contending team. This past offseason, the team's one splashy signing is now suspended, further exposing how little the team did in the 2025 offseason. The Braves needed help in the rotation, bullpen, and bench depth. It was clear from Atlanta's lack of moves that they preferred to pinch pennies over allowing a great roster builder in Anthopoulos to work.
Atlanta cannot blame Alex when it became clear how limited Atlanta's offseason budget was. Since the team won the World Series in the 2021 season, they've watched Freddie Freeman, Dansby Swanson, Charlie Morton, and Max Fried all walk away. The only player the Braves even attempted to replace at a comparable level was when they brought in Matt Olson in place of former franchise cornerstone Freeman.
Where were the moves this offseason to address your rotation and shortstop? You're asking Anthopoulos to build a roster with one hand tied behind his back. However, none of this excuses Atlanta's miserable start. Yes, the Braves should have made far more offseason moves, but this team remains capable of making the postseason. The bulk of the blame must fall on underperforming players.