The Atlanta Braves have been aggressive early in the offseason, appearing to learn their lesson from a dumpster fire of a 2025 season. Atlanta has rebuilt the bullpen, brought in outfield depth, and retained last year's starting shortstop. The busy offseason points to a push to contend, hoping that the previous season was simply one-off year.
As the calendar flips to 2026, the Braves' roster appears to be in good shape with a strong rotation expected to begin the 2025 season healthy. With this in mind, let's look at the projected starting rotation heading into the New Year and how manager Walt Weiss is likely to line things up.
1. Chris Sale, LHP (2025: 7-5, 2.58 ERA, 165 SO in 125 2/3 IP)
Chris Sale has more than earned the opportunity to be Atlanta's Opening Day starter for the 2026 season. While the team needs to get through the spring healthy, if the rotation is as expected, there is no valid argument against putting Sale atop the rotation based on Spencer Strider's regression since returning from injury.
The left-hander is the 2024 Cy Young award winner and returned in 2025 just as strong. Sale's numbers only dipped due to a rib injury that would prevent the veteran from pitching a full season. Still, there is no question he belongs firmly atop the rotation.
2. Spencer Strider, RHP (2025: 7-14, 4.45 ERA, 131 SO in 125 1/3 IP)
A year ago, it would've made sense to put Spencer Strider at the top of Atlanta's rotation without any questions asked. Now, there is concern about which version of Strider will show up next year. The right-hander's velocity and strikeout rate both slid in the wrong direction, leading to a lot of hard contact throughout the 2025 season.
The once-dominant pitcher was unreliable and often forced ex-manager Brian Snitker to turn to the bullpen. Whether or not the best version of the starter shows up for the 2026 season will go a long way in determining whether the Braves can become legitimate contenders.
3. Spencer Schwellenbach, RHP (2025: 7-4, 3.09 ERA, 108 SO in 110 2/3 IP)
Spencer Schwellenbach, being the third option in Atlanta's rotation, speaks to the incredible talent the franchise has heading into the season. The sample size from the starter is now large enough to trust that he will be an important contributor for years to come. The starter had a 3.09 ERA and has proven he is going to give Atlanta's lineup every time that he takes the mound.
It was a great season that was derailed by injury, as was the case for almost the entire Atlanta 2025 Opening Day rotation. Schwellenbach's injury history offers no reason to think that this will continue to be a problem, and the presence of the starter gives the Braves a chance to have the best opening trio of options in the league.
4. Hurston Waldrep, RHP (2025: 6-1, 2.88 ERA, 55 SO in 56 1/3 IP)
Hurston Waldrep was unhittable after making his initial 2025 debut and was rare must-see TV for Braves fans who had long given up on the struggling team. While the numbers faded a bit down the stretch, Waldrep finished the year 6-1 with a 2.88 ERA. This is top-of-the-rotation level production and could give Atlanta four legitimate postseason arms if the numbers hold.
For Waldrep, the concern is simply a lack of sample size, with fans and pundits needing to see sustained production to believe he is capable of pitching at this level all season. Either way, fans can't help but get excited about a promising young arm expected to start the season in the 2026 rotation.
5. Grant Holmes, RHP (2025: 4-9, 3.99 ERA, 123 SO in 115 IP)
The final spot in Atlanta's rotation seemingly is coming down to either Reynaldo Lopez or Grant Holmes. Considering the history of both players, it makes the most sense to put Lopez in the bullpen and have Holmes fill out the rotation. This is if the Braves don't opt to add another starter before opening day and move both players to the bullpen.
Having both Holmes and Lopez as bullpen arms makes the pen incredibly deep as well, while fixing the bottom of your rotation. However, if the season started today, it appears likely that Holmes would get the nod as the final piece for Atlanta.