One of the biggest concerns facing the Atlanta Braves in the 2025 season was a lack of proven bullpen depth. This was clear on Opening Day when the Atlanta bullpen imploded and took the air out of an Atlanta offense that had already staged one comeback. This story would repeat itself in the second game of the series with Dylan Lee giving up a go-ahead homer to Jake Cronenworth.
Yet again, this was after San Diego jumped out to an early lead and the Braves staged a comeback. Although the Atlanta offense only managed seven runs in the first two games, however, both losses fell squarely on the shoulders of the Atlanta bullpen. It was a concern heading into the season and has only grown more alarming with each passing game.
Atlanta's Bullpen Remains an Obvious Weakness for a Clear National League Contender
This is a big piece of why the Braves opted to bring back aging reliever Jessie Chavez as a possible answer for the back of the bullpen. Seemingly every time Chavez returns to Atlanta, the veteran is able to breathe life back into his career. Atlanta is hoping this will prove to be the case yet again, and Chavez can be a consistent innings eater.
It is a big piece of why Craig Kimbrel reunited with the Braves as well. There is hope that the veteran can become a middle-inning option to help bridge the gap to the back of Atlanta's bullpen. Kimbrel imploded at the end of the 2024 season but had a strong start and should be able to still be a reliable option. While no longer the dominating force he once was, Kimbrel's struggles to end the season were a clear outlier.
Another potential fix for Atlanta's bullpen struggles could be removing Grant Holmes from the rotation. This move entirely hinges on how AJ Smith-Shawver handles his chance to cement a role in the rotation. If Smith-Shawver is a solid option, the team can put Holmes back into the bullpen when Spencer Strider returns.
This trio of potential options does give hope that Atlanta's early bullpen failures will prove to be the outlier and Atlanta can stabilize the unit. Worst case, Atlanta's GM has proven reliable at finding midseason answers for injuries or weak positions. No matter how they decide to solve it, there is no denying the Braves' biggest problem early in the season is going to be their inconsistent bullpen.