5 Braves storylines to follow in September

MIAMI — The Braves have nearly one month remaining in the regular season. They aren’t mathematically eliminated, but they’re almost certainly going to miss the postseason for the first time since 2017.

Here are five storylines to follow as this disappointing season winds down:

Manager Brian Snitker’s potential farewell

It has been assumed that this is Snitker’s final season managing the Braves, with whom he’s achieved a world of success. Snitker, who turns 70 in October, embodies a Braves lifer as someone who’s been part of the organization for 49 years.

Snitker, whose contract expires at the end of this season, left his role as Triple-A Gwinnett’s manager to take over in May 2016 as the interim major league manager of a rebuilding club. He then oversaw six consecutive division titles, seven consecutive postseason berths, two NLCS appearances and the 2021 World Series championship. He and beloved mentor Bobby Cox are the only championship coaches/managers in Atlanta’s professional sports history.

And Cox and Snitker are considered the top two managers in the Braves’ history in Atlanta, both adored for their leadership and people skills that helped produce the franchise’s best eras.

Will Snitker and the team make an announcement about his future before the season concludes? It would make sense to give the organization and fans a way to acknowledge Snitker before his retirement, if that’s what he chooses to do. Snitker deserves the applause and admiration for his dedication to the franchise and for being such an excellent ambassador for baseball.

“Snit has been unbelievable here,” third baseman Austin Riley told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “The experience he has, he’s been around the game longer than anybody around here. He’s seen it all. From a manager and leader, you don’t ever see him panic. And that’s like the No. 1 thing I’ve been really appreciative of. We’ve had our ups and downs. When we won in ’21, we weren’t good in the beginning. You never saw him change. You haven’t seen him change here.”

Hurston Waldrep’s ascension

Waldrep has been superb to the point many already will pencil him into a starting rotation spot in 2026. Waldrep was summoned on short notice to pitch in Bristol, Tennessee, earlier this month when a suspended showcase game resumed. He impressed, earning another look. And another. And another.

Waldrep has a 0.90 ERA in 30 innings this month. He’s had dominant outings. He’s had to gut through an outing, as he did Tuesday in Miami. The Braves need to address their rotation this winter, particularly because of its volatile health. But Waldrep already has provided a massive boost to the future rotation — assuming he continues showing he’s worthy of regular starts.

There haven’t been many positive developments for the team in 2025, but he’s become one of the more important — seemingly out of nowhere and thanks to an act of Mother Nature.

“Overall, it’s being able to come into the office every day, work and see everything pay off,” Waldrep said. “But you can’t sit here and reflect for too long. It’s onto the next. I’m focusing on staying healthy, working and building off all these starts.”

Drake Baldwin’s Rookie of the Year case

Baldwin is having an excellent debut campaign, and he’s worthy of Rookie of the Year honors, though Milwaukee’s Isaac Collins and Chicago’s Cade Horton are ahead of him in most betting odds. Can Baldwin secure the award with a powerful closing case?

Baldwin entered Wednesday hitting .279 with an .802 OPS in 95 games (331 plate appearances). He’s split time between catcher and designated hitter. He’s made tremendous strides behind the plate in his game management and defense. He quickly won over his peers; reigning Cy Young winner Chris Sale passionately endorsed Baldwin’s readiness in March, when an injury to catcher Sean Murphy created an opportunity for Baldwin to make the opening-day roster.

Baldwin’s Baseball Savant page backs his production. He isn’t just getting favorable results; he’s a bona fide good all-around player. And he’s come through in some crucial moments, too, as he did Tuesday when his single scored two runs in the ninth to extend the Braves’ lead. And as he did Aug. 20 when his two-out hit in the eighth capped a six-run comeback.

“I felt really good with him in that situation,” Snitker said that night. “I feel good with him up in any kind of run-producing situation. It’s a good at-bat, calm at-bat, confident.”

Collins is hitting .270 with a .789 OPS for the team with baseball’s best record. Horton has a 2.88 ERA in 93⅔ innings for another club in postseason position. So Baldwin has worthy competition, but he can still earn the award in September.

The Braves have had seven Rookie of the Year winners since moving to Atlanta in 1966: Earl Williams (1971), Bob Horner (1978), David Justice (1990), Rafael Furcal (2000), Craig Kimbrel (2011), Ronald Acuña Jr. (2018) and Michael Harris II (2022).

Ozzie Albies and the offense

Albies clubbed three homers in the Braves’ two wins in Miami. On Tuesday, he delivered his first multihomer performance since July 4, 2023. The Braves hold a $7 million team option (with a $4 buyout) on Albies this offseason. It seems likely they’ll retain him, but it’s not guaranteed. A strong finish would help Albies’ case, not just from a contractual standpoint but in righting himself for next season.

“I don’t control (the contract situation),” Albies said Tuesday. “I don’t know what’s going to happen. I just do my job and whatever happens happens.”

The multi-time All-Star has struggled at the plate over the past two years. His fractured wrist, suffered July 2024, only made matters worse. The power hasn’t been there — since hitting 33 homers in 2023, he’s hit 23 across the past two seasons — so the recent showing is encouraging as he further distances himself from the wrist injury.

Albies has been an important part of the Braves’ sustained success. He’s a well-respected teammate and possesses the upside to be among baseball’s better second basemen. The $4 million buyout also means that moving off Albies would result in minimal savings. The signs point to him returning, but his long-term outlook with the franchise will remain murky.

The Braves should feel better about next year’s offense, given some recent performances, and some individuals — such as Jurickson Profar — have rounded into their expected form. Only the MLB-best Brewers have scored more runs this month. Profar, as a dynamic leadoff man, has been a big part of that. One wonders what the Braves’ record would be if Profar hadn’t received an 80-game suspension for testing positive for a banned substance. He’s made an astronomical difference atop the lineup.

Don’t expect any significant changes to the Braves’ lineup. The team’s core is under contract. The team likely will seek an upgrade at shortstop, but it could return the rest of the lineup, perhaps without impending free-agent Marcell Ozuna. A strong finish would behoove all involved.

Chris Sale’s return

Sale will return this weekend in Philadelphia after missing months because of a fractured rib cage he sustained trying to make a diving play in late June. He’s returning so he can finish the season healthy and enjoy a normal offseason as the entire team hopes to rebound in 2026.

“I don’t care what the record says; I like to compete, and I want to go out there and do my job,” Sale said during his rehab process.

He continued: “I’ve missed enough baseball in my career that this isn’t something that I’m OK with having being done. I think it’s important to finish a year not on the (injured list) and be able to at least hang my hat on the fact that I was able to finish the year pitching and upright, going into the offseason, knowing that there’s no real questions or concerns or anything that I’m going to have to address.”

Will Sale need an adjustment period, or will he immediately look like his old dominant self? Time will tell, but him staying healthy the rest of the way would be a win. The reigning Cy Young winner was masterful before his injury, posting a 2.52 ERA in 15 starts while striking out 114 against 26 walks.