Status report: April just ended and the Braves have a 6½-game lead in the National League East — easily the biggest pre-May cushion in franchise history.
Elsewhere, no other division leader enjoys more than a 1½-game lead.
The home team may well be MLB’s most well-rounded squad.
MAKING CHAD ANSWER QUESTIONS, PART I
Y’all wanna make beat writer Chad Bishop answer some important questions about your 22-10 Braves?
I did … so I did!
1️⃣ Vibe check: From afar, this team seems way more confident than in 2025. Is it palpable?
I liked Mike Yastrzemski’s comment the other day about the team being “even keel.” Yes, they don’t like to lose, but they are in no way devastated. And by the same token, they aren’t celebrating wins like they will never do it again. Something to be said about the expectation to win.
Manager Walt Weiss has been a broken record about his affinity for this club and about the “look in their eyes” since February. I also think it helps that there are so many veterans with such a strong presence in the clubhouse: Chris Sale, Martín Pérez, Dominic Smith, Kyle Farmer to name to few. Those voices have been instrumental in a “new” mindset for the ’26 club.
2️⃣ Lots of shuffling in the rotation all of a sudden … how do you think things ultimately sort out with Spencer Strider’s return? Reynaldo López is out for now, but does JR Ritchie stick around in lieu of, say, Martín Pérez? Spell it out for me, Chadwick!
What, am I a crystal ball here? But seriously, my expectation is that when Spencer Strider makes his return in Colorado this weekend then Didier Fuentes will head back to Triple-A. As valuable as the experience is for Fuentes to get some work out of the bullpen, the kid needs to continue to develop and get starts.
That’s the first domino to fall.
López will then remain in the bullpen, where I actually think he could be an incredibly valuable piece — either in long relief or a high-leverage situation. When the guy is right and when his fastball is hitting the 95-96 mph mark, he’s an awfully tough pitcher.
Finally, as painful as it might be for Braves fans to read, Ritchie will probably have to return to Triple-A as well. Pérez has been so instrumental to the team’s success, both on and off the field, that it will be difficult to exorcize him off the roster. And we have to remember that Ritchie, like Fuentes, appears to have a long career ahead of him which needs to be protected and nurtured.
These things need to always be kept in perspective, too, as any rotation/bullpen/staff is one injury away from everything being in flux.
3️⃣ What are you hearing from/about Austin Riley? His offensive struggles more mechanical or mental, you think?
I previously spoke with Austin in early April. He sort of began to turn it around offensively soon after that, then went back into the doldrums. But he did speak about it some Monday, in an interview with 680 The Fan — and I’ve got another story coming later today.
A point brought up to me by someone who has covered the team far longer than I was that Riley’s numbers in the month of May (career .278 hitter) have always been far greater than his numbers in April/March (career .252). So not to punt on this, but let’s revisit Riley in the merry month of May and see how he is faring then.
More of our convo — including Sean Murphy and self-deprecating potty-related jokes — after a short break.
TRIVIA TIME
🤔 How many times did soon-to-be Hall of Famer Andruw Jones hit for the cycle during his career?
Answer at the very bottom of the newsletter.
FAREWELL TO ATLANTA’S GRASSMASTER
Ed Mangan’s ATL turf journey began some 35 years ago. His mission earned front-of-the-sports-section ink.
“When Atlanta Braves general manager John Schuerholz promised to improve the team’s infield, he set about obtaining free agents Sid Bream, Terry Pendleton and Ed Mangan,” the Atlanta Journal’s Joe Strauss wrote on Jan. 16, 1991.
“Mangan, 30, is the only one of the three to carry a rake rather than a glove; however, his impact on a club that has committed itself to improving around pitching, defense and speed may be equal to that of the $16 million pair.”
The Braves’ new groundskeeper was charged with “overhauling a playing field generally considered the worst in both major league baseball and the NFL.” With creating consistency “on a field noted for potholes, bare spots and poor drainage.”
He did it, made Atlanta proud and became a name any self-respecting Braves fan knows well.
The club honored Mangan — who recently moved into an advisory role and is now officially retired — before Thursday’s game.
“I’m just grateful, honored,” he said. “It’s been a pleasure with this organization every minute.”
🏆 Last week, I floated longtime Atlanta usher Walter Banks as an out-of-the-box candidate for the Braves Hall of Fame. Mangan may be even more deserving.
WHAT’S ON DECK, IN BRIEF
Braves at Rockies
Friday through Sunday’s games start at 8:40, 8:10 and 3:10 p.m., respectively, on BravesVision. Grant Holmes (2-1, 3.62) and Chris Sale (5-1, 2.31) are slated to precede Strider on the Coors Field mound.
- They won’t have many household names to contend with on this Rockies roster, though outfielder Mickey Moniak and second baseman Edouard Julien have started strong.
Braves at Mariners
Monday through Wednesday games from Seattle start at 9:40, 9:40 and 4:10 p.m., respectively, on BravesVision.
- Seattle catcher Cal Raleigh — who won last year’s home run derby at Truist Park — is hitting .192 to start the year.
- Ritchie, meanwhile, hails from Bainbridge Island, Washington, a short ferry ride from Seattle. A hometown start could be in the offing, rotation maneuvers permitting.
MAKING CHAD ANSWER QUESTIONS, PART II
OK, we’re back to beat writer Chad Bishop filling our cups of knowledge.
4️⃣ Who’s the likeliest to lose at-bats with catcher Sean Murphy’s looming return?
I fear our good friend Kyle Farmer may be the odd man out. Farmer has been a great clubhouse guy, and is a wonderfully affable fellow. He just isn’t going to have a spot on the roster when Murphy returns.
Jonah Heim’s work behind the plate (the pitchers rave about his ability to call a game) will be a big reason the Braves roll with three catchers for a while. That will allow Murphy and Baldwin to each DH, or even take a full day off from time to time.
5️⃣ Walt Weiss has obviously been back to Colorado since his managerial stint there, but not as a skipper. He the type of guy who would want to stick it to ‘em?
No, I don’t think so. That probably seems like a lifetime ago in baseball time. Plus Weiss, although he didn’t agree with the decision at the time, left on somewhat amicable terms.
Weiss’ situation with Atlanta is so different from the one he was dealt in Colorado. He has been set up to succeed with the Braves, and wasn’t so much so with the Rockies.
6️⃣ Hit me with a random quote or anecdote you couldn’t squeeze into a story lately.
During the Braves’ recent trip to Philadelphia, Kyle Farmer came down with a nasty illness possibly brought on by norovirus. Farmer told us how he felt so bad he had to leave Citizens Bank Park during the game and return to his hotel to try to recover.
At the ballpark the next day, Farmer told a few of us about his health struggles. Then the seldomly-used utility man said, in a self-deprecating way with a grin, “No one even knew I was gone.”
Don’t worry Kyle, we noticed. And thanks Chad. As always, make sure to follow him at @MrChadBishop.
PHOTO OF THE WEEK
Sing it sweet for us, Ronnie.
Thanks for reading Braves Report. Tell a friend — and maybe give the Win Column newsletter a shot, too.
Oh, and the trivia answer: Zero. Andruw Jones never hit for the cycle … but his son Druw (Wesleyan School grad, current Diamondbacks farmhand) did it in Double-A this week.
About the Authors
Tyler Estep hosts the AJC Win Column, Atlanta's new weekly destination for all things sports. He also shepherds the Sports Daily and Braves Report newsletters to your inbox.
