By MIKE ROBERTS
The Atlanta Braves have looked awesome since the All-Star break, posting a 16-7 record since that included an impressive eight-game winning streak from July 29-August 6, the longest of the season. At 71-47, Atlanta has widened its lead in the National League East to 8.5 games over the second-place Philadelphia Phillies. Now comes the stretch run of the regular season.
It’s not over yet. Let’s not forget the 2011 Braves, who had a lead of, coincidentally, 8.5 games in the wild card in September. That team fell apart, finishing the campaign 9-18, and missed the playoffs completely after losing to the Phillies in extra innings on the final day of the season.
Here are three things the Braves must do to solidify down the final stretch of the regular season.
Top Two or Bust
Atlanta needs to lock up one of the National League’s top two seeds, which would give them a first-round bye in the playoffs. Land the No. 1 seed, and the Braves wouldn’t have to worry about facing the mighty Los Angeles Dodgers until the NLCS. That would also give the Braves home-field advantage throughout the postseason. The No. 2 seed would still secure a bye and home field for the NLDS.
Heading into Monday’s game with the Mets, the Braves sit second in the overall NL standings, trailing the Milwaukee Brewers (74-44) by three games. Atlanta faces Milwaukee on the road (Aug. 21-23) and hosts the Dodgers (Aug. 25-27) in back-to-back series that will be crucial in determining NL playoff position.
Yes, that’s brutal. How they perform against those elite contenders will show just what kind of team the 2026 Braves really are.
Also keep an eye on Sept. 4. That’s when Atlanta starts the first of two series against the Phillies during a span of 10 days in September. That could be the Braves’ chance to lock up the division. The Phillies might be scuffling right now – they’re 9-13 since the break – but still loaded with talent. Sluggers Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper are still there. So is Cy Young candidate Cristopher Sánchez. Don’t sleep on the Phillies.
Starting Pitching Depth
At the trade deadline, the Braves were rumored to land a top-notch starting pitcher like Tarik Skubal, but that never came to fruition. The Detroit Tigers ended up sending Skubal to the Dodgers.
The Braves did make a deal for a starter in Tyler Mahle (3-9, 4.83 ERA, 1.36 WHIP) from the San Francisco Giants. He’s a solid pitcher, but not an ace like Skubal.
Speaking of Cy Young winners, Atlanta does still have Chris Sale (12-7, 2.20 ERA, 1.02 WHIP), who remains one of the best pitchers in baseball in 2026. But if the team wants to win a World Series this year, they need production from starters other than Sale, who incidentally got tossed from Sunday’s game with the Yankees before the first pitch, because he was still ticked off at a balk call during his start the night before against the Bronx Bombers.
So, who’s available to help Sale other than Mahle?
Former MLB All-Star Spencer Strider (4-2, 5.31 ERA, 1.36 WHIP) is likely done for the season. Spencer Schwellenbach, who hasn’t pitched at all in 2026, could return in September but he hasn’t thrown in an MLB game for more than a year. That means the Braves must continue to rely on guys like Bryce Elder (8-6, 3.69 ERA, 1.20 WHIP), Grant Holmes (7-4, 3.47 ERA, 1.32 WHIP), and Martín Pérez (7-6, 3.14 ERA, 1.15 WHIP).
Make no mistake, Atlanta’s starting rotation has performed well, especially recently. Since the All-Star break, Elder has won three games, while Holmes has won two. Plus, Mahle looked good in his debut on Friday against the New York Yankees, pitching six scoreless innings with nine strikeouts despite factoring into a no-decision as the Braves lost 3-2 in extra innings.
Can this rotation carry the team deep into the playoffs? The answer is yes. The unit has posted one of the league’s top collective ERAs since the All-Star break, and they have the talent to continue that into October.
The Bullpen
The Braves possess a smorgasbord of big-time hitters like Ronald Acuña Jr. (.243 AVG, .790 OPS, 12 HR, 28 RBI, 15 SB), Matt Olson (.266 AVG, .895 OPS, 34 HR, 72 RBI, 2 SB), Ozzie Albies (.259 AVG, .742 OPS, 19 HR, 63 RBI, 2 SB), and Drake Baldwin (.270 AVG, .807 OPS, 20 HR, 59 RBI, 2 SB). And hopefully the starting pitching rotation can get the job done. However, there are question marks surrounding the bullpen.
Closer Raisel Iglesias (1-2, 2.95 ERA, 1.17 WHIP) was named to his first All-Star Game this year and has recorded 24 saves (fourth-most in the National League). Yet, he has been shaky recently, blowing two saves since the break.
One of the main reasons behind Iglesias’ struggles could be due to pitching more often in the absence of Robert Suarez (4 saves, 0.56 ERA, 0.84 WHIP), who is currently out with an elbow injury with no clear timeline for his return. Perhaps with Iglesias’ recent struggles and Suarez’s injury, a youngster like Didier Fuentes (2 saves, 2.49 ERA, 1.09 WHIP) should get more chances in high-leverage spots.
Stabilizing late-inning relief is crucial to a team that’s looking to make a deep playoff run. Other options – Dylan Lee (0 saves, 2.03 ERA, 0.75 WHIP), and Dylan Dodd (1 save, 1.98 ERA, 0.83 WHIP), we’re looking at you – may need to be relied upon to make the bullpen reliable enough for October.
Looking Ahead
The Braves have a six-game homestand on tap, starting with the three-game set with the New York Mets that begins tonight, and then facing the Arizona Diamondbacks, who begin the week tied with the Phillies in the wild card standings, beginning on Friday.
Here’s a look at the upcoming schedule, including TV information and probable pitchers:
Monday, 8/10: 7:15 PM, BravesVision/MLB.TV, Christian Scott (NYM) (3-3, 3.15 ERA, 1.26 WHIP) vs. Bryce Elder (ATL) (8-6, 3.69 ERA, 1.20 WHIP)
Tuesday, 8/11: 7:15 PM, BravesVision/MLB.TV, Nolan McLean (NYM) (8-7, 3.51 ERA, 1.16 WHIP) vs. Martin Perez (ATL) (7-6, 3.14 ERA, 1.15 WHIP)
Wednesday, 8/12: 7:15 PM, BravesVision/MLB.TV, Zac Thornton (NYM) (2-2, 2.88 ERA, 1.05 WHIP) vs. Tyler Mahle (ATL) (3-9, 4.83 ERA, 1.36 WHIP)
Friday, 8/14: 7:15 PM, BravesVision MLB.TV, TBD (ARI) vs. TBD (ATL)
Saturday, 8/15: 7:15 PM, MLB.TV/FOX, TBD (ARI) vs. TBD (ATL)
Sunday, 8/16: 1:35 PM, BravesVision/MLB.TV, TBD (ARI) vs. TBD (ATL)