The Atlanta Braves have been reduced to playing the role of spoiler after making it clear they are far out of postseason contention early in the summer. Now, the Braves have a unique opportunity to be a roadblock over three upcoming series, and playing the spoiler would certainly give fans something to look forward to down the stretch.
Braves Can Continue to Play Spoiler in These 3 September Series
1. vs. Chicago Cubs (Sept. 8-10)
The Braves' role as spoiler already started on Monday, beating the Chicago Cubs in the series opener 4-1 at Truist Park. A sweep could send the Cubs into a tailspin that is going to be incredibly difficult to recover from.
While the Cubs are still five games clear in the National League Wild Card race, this is a lead that has already been shrinking, having lost the previous three games. Chicago is also three games back of the Philadelphia Phillies for the NL's No. 2 seed, which comes with a bye in the wild card round.
Atlanta can further the postseason contender's slide by sweeping the series. Having said that, the Cubs aren't the only postseason contender that the Braves can hurt.
2. vs. Houston Astros (Sept. 12-14)
The Astros are just holding on with the Seattle Mariners quickly closing ground, currently two games back, while the Texas Rangers are only 3.5 behind. An AL West division that has appeared to be Houston's to lose for much of the season has suddenly become one of the most fascinating races in the league. A race that the Braves can help determine by haunting Houston and pushing them closer to a potential exit from the 2025 postseason race.
3. @ Detroit Tigers (Sept. 19-21)
Following their clash with the Astros, the Braves will take on the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. The Tigers simply have too large a divisional lead and enough talent to survive anything that happens in the next weeks of the season. Still, Atlanta can put doubt into the minds of Detroit players and fans with a strong series. This is what the Braves have been reduced to as the season continues to drag towards its end.
The Tigers also have to compete with the likes of the Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, and Astros for top seeding in the American League. Losing to the Braves would not only put doubts in their mind, but it'd allowed the competition to close the gap.
Successfully Playing Spoiler Will Help Braves End 2025 on High Note
Playing the role of spoiler speaks to a team whose potential has been wasted for much of the 2025 season. A trio of factors are the biggest reasons for this, with poor bullpen depth, key injuries, and underachieving veterans being the obvious factors in why this season went awry so quickly. Still, many of the needed pieces are in place for the Braves to turn the corner.
More important than playing the role of spoiler is being able to finish the season strong and give fans a bit of hope that the returning core is going to get the job done in the 2026 season. There is zero question that improvements must be made, boosting both the lineup and bullpen to help turn the corner.
Ending the season hot simply adds to the sense of urgency that you have winning pieces in place and must do a better job of adding support. Making the Braves' haunting postseason teams all the more important, not just from an entertainment perspective, but also in understanding the message it sends moving forward.