The Atlanta Braves have been MLB’s biggest disappointment so far in 2025, stumbling to a 5-13 record that has them sitting in last place in the NL East.
It’s a shocking start for a team many expected to be an NL powerhouse. The Braves faced a brutal opening schedule with a seven-game West Coast trip against the Padres and Dodgers, but they haven’t fared much better since returning east. They’ve split with the rebuilding Marlins and dropped series to both the Rays and Blue Jays.
The offense has completely stalled. Just two years after setting an MLB record for team slugging percentage, Atlanta ranks 26th in baseball with only 61 runs scored. Matt Olson is hitting just .203, while Michael Harris II has limped to a .507 OPS. The pitching hasn’t been much better – reigning Cy Young winner Chris Sale sports an ugly 6.63 ERA, and the typically dominant Braves bullpen ranks just 21st in ERA.
Off the field, the news hasn’t been any better. All-Star starter Reynaldo López and key reliever Joe Jimenez are sidelined until at least after the All-Star break. To make matters worse, Jurickson Profar – their biggest free-agent addition this winter – just received an 80-game suspension.
But it’s not all doom and gloom in Atlanta. All-Stars Sean Murphy and Spencer Strider recently came off the injured list, and former MVP Ronald Acuña Jr. is ramping up toward a rehab assignment. Third baseman Austin Riley looks like his old self after a down 2024, launching five homers with an .861 OPS. Meanwhile, 25-year-old Spencer Schwellenbach has emerged as the rotation’s anchor, posting a stellar 2.55 ERA with just five walks through four starts.
What’s more, these are still the Braves – a team that hasn’t missed the playoffs since 2017 and remains loaded with All-Star talent. That’s why Jim Bowden of The Athletic believes they’ll still make their eighth straight postseason appearance.
“This team is too deep and strong not to get back in the race and be in wild-card contention come late September,” Bowden wrote. “The Braves have made the postseason seven years in a row, and I don’t see that streak ending.”
The Braves have a perfect opportunity to build momentum this week with a six-game homestand against the struggling Twins and the middling Cardinals. If there’s a team that deserves the benefit of the doubt after a rough start, it’s Atlanta.
