In spite of all that has gone wrong, the Atlanta Braves are in the postseason, which is exactly where they should have been all along. With one of the easiest schedules in the league coming up, the Braves are considered the favorites to secure the third Wild Card slot in the National League. Their advantage over the New York Mets is just 0.5 games. If all goes according to plan, the Braves will need to reduce the number of players on their active roster from the 28 they are permitted to have in September to 26 by the time the postseason gets underway.
Due to roster cuts, two of the team’s current players won’t be there when the postseason starts. There could be further roster cuts because players like Austin Riley and Ozzie Albies might be back by then. If and when Atlanta makes it to the postseason, these four players in particular shouldn’t be there.
4. RP John Brebbia John Brebbia hasn’t played a game for the Braves yet, so this may not be fair, but considering his past with the Chicago White Sox, Brebbia shouldn’t be in the postseason lineup for Atlanta. After 48.2 innings pitched and 54 appearances for the White Sox this season, the right-hander’s ERA was 6.29. Brebbia appears to be the weakest reliever in what has turned out to be an extremely strong Atlanta bullpen. No, pitching for what is probably going to be the worst team in MLB history didn’t help, and his 4.43 FIP shows that he was unlucky to have an ERA that high.
3. OF Adam Duvall Since Adam Duvall has been a member of their active roster the whole season, this one is difficult. It’s difficult to blame the Braves for believing they were getting Duvall for a low-cost of $3 million to serve as their fourth outfielder and start some games against lefties—he was excellent in 2023 and had a great record with Atlanta. Sadly, it hasn’t turned out to be that successful. When Ronald Acuña Jr. had an injury that ended his season, Duvall was thrown into the rotation because of his impressive performance versus southpaws.
2. Luke Williams, IF Despite spending a significant amount of time on Atlanta’s active roster this season, Luke Williams has only played in 27 games, made 30 plate appearances, and collected five hits overall. Williams is a versatile player who can run and play a number of positions around the field, but there are two factors to consider regarding his roster slot.
- 1. RP Luke Jackson Given how bad his defense is, Jorge Soler might not be the best match in Atlanta, but since the Braves acquired him at the trade deadline, his bat has been a welcome addition. There was some logic to the arrangement to get him back. The Braves are learning the hard way that adding Luke Jackson to the transaction never really made sense.
