What the Braves are Playing for in 2026
By: Andrew Ferguson
The Atlanta Braves are currently off to the hottest start in franchise history with a record of 40-20 and lead all of MLB in win percentage. All while doing it without being in the top 5 in payroll within the league. The New York Mets fans are just facepalming their team as they lead the league (at least they lead in something) in team payroll with nearly $400 million but sit 13.5 games behind the Braves in the NL East standings. And it’s only June 1st. I just had to throw that in there because this article is not about that disaster of a franchise that just can’t seem to make the right moves. It’s about a well rounded organization. You know I love for people to catch strays.
The Braves are off to a hot start, big whoop? Well, if you follow this team closely, there is a lot that’s going into this season specifically. They have a chance to truly make this a magical one and bring some tears to those eyeballs.
Last year, the Braves mightily underperformed and had a record of 76-86. They missed the playoffs after many considered them a top contender to the Dodgers for another World Series title. It all started when they thought they filled their left field gap with Jurickson Profar by signing him to a 3 year, $42 million contract. Profar played in only 4 games before being suspended for PEDs for 80 games and also ruled ineligible if they did make the playoffs. This really set the tone for how the season was going to play out. Without making many other big offseason moves, this one hurt. The offense struggled and the Braves dealt with injury after injury. They were the first team in baseball history to have all 5 of their opening day starting pitchers end up on the 60-day IL. Baseball is a grind and some things are just truly out of your control. So with all of that being said, there was a lot of pressure on a lot of these players along with General Manager, Alex Anthopoulos, going into 2026.
The Braves are a franchise that continues to let players walk and not make the big, huge splashy free agent signing. We’ve seen guys like Max Fried, Freddie Freeman and Dansby Swanson all leave in Free Agency. All core members of the team that won a World Series in 2021. The only consistent hitting player in 2025 was Marcel Ozuna and he also walked in free agency. Did this not seem like the longest 3 year deal in baseball history? Alex fits right in with Atlanta’s mantra as he’s someone who waits for players that are on good contracts to come available and strike at the right time. It took him 2 years to land Chris Sale and all he did was come to Atlanta and win a Cy Young award. But a lot of people weren’t necessarily impressed with his offseason once again coming into this year. So where did the skepticism come from?
AA was able to get a bulk of the young core on team friendly contracts over the past 3 years. Acuna, Albies, Michael Harris and Spencer Strider all signed long term deals to stay in an Atlanta uniform for the foreseeable future without giving them massive paydays. People thought he was brilliant until some of these guys were starting to underperform and continued to get hurt. Once again, coming into 2026, Atlanta didn’t make a ton of big flashy moves as I mentioned. So the fans thought banking on injury prone players and trying again with this same underperforming core was insane and it was time to blow it all up. Jurickson Profar was also hit
with his 2nd PED suspension causing him to be suspended for the entire season before it even got underway. Oh boy, here we go again. So where are all those haters now? Well one of them is right here, writing this article. AA continuously said he’s with these guys everyday and sees what they are capable of closer than any fan can evaluate. I’ve never shut my mouth quicker and given a GM praise more than I have now. I know when to admit I’m wrong. After last year’s season, the Braves have a lot to prove and are playing with a chip on their shoulders. But what if I told you the scariest part has yet to come?
The Braves are currently ranked top 5 in almost every meaningful hitting and pitching category. All while a lot of their key pieces weren’t contributing. Ronald Acuna is one of those players that we’ve seen get injured and off to slow starts to a season. He’s starting to finally fire at all cylinders after this current road trip where he’s batting .292 with 5 homeruns. Austin Riley is another player we’ve seen struggle at the plate. Is he just an average baseball player now? I hope not because he is the Braves’ highest paid player making $22 million a year. So the scary thing is, the Braves have been dominating their opponents this year without their former MVP putting up elite numbers, and their highest paid player slumping. It’s only going to get better for these guys and for this team.
So where is all of this magic? Nobody cares about just a good baseball team.
Sadly, Atlanta has seen many special contributors to this organization pass away in the month of May. The organization has endured the mourning of Ted Turner, Bobby Cox and Bob Horner all within 20 days. Ted Turner is the reason I am a Braves fan today. Not because I grew up in
Atlanta, but I was a Braves fan even before that. I lived in the country of Panama as a child and since he bought TBS and the Braves, I was able to watch them in Central America. His impact between baseball and network television is what truly created Braves country. Legendary manager Bobby Cox passed away 3 days later. Bobby was one of the most respected managers in the history of the game among his own players and the community as a whole. He spent 25 years managing the Braves and was able to bring home one World Series title in 1995 along with 14 straight division titles. My favorite stat of his though is that he holds the record for most ejections with 162. The current number of games Profar is serving for his newest PED suspension and an entire MLB season. Epic. Bob Horner was the most recent Brave to pass way too early. Bob was the first overall pick in the MLB draft in 1978. He skipped the minors and immediately won NL Rookie of the Year. Horner was an All-Star and was a key member of the Atlanta squads that had success during the Dale Murphy days. On a lighter note, Brian Snitker was immediately inducted into the Braves Hall of Fame on April 25th. His first season retired. The organization has a profound respect for Snit and wasted no time. A World Series title can do that.
The Braves have always been more than just a baseball team. They are a franchise built on generations of players, coaches, executives and fans who helped shape what Braves Country has become. Look at a map and find the closest MLB team to Atlanta (besides Florida teams, those don’t count. Nobody shows up to the games). Ted Turner gave the team a national identity, Bobby Cox established a culture that defined an era of baseball in Atlanta and Bob
Horner was part of a generation of Braves baseball that kept fans invested long before division titles became the expectation. Their contributions span different decades, but together they helped build the foundation that this team now stands on. That is why this season feels different. The Braves are not only trying to erase the disappointment of 2025 or prove doubters wrong, they are carrying the weight and memories left behind by some of the most important figures in franchise history. Their fingerprints are still all over this franchise.
Baseball seasons are long and unpredictable. Injuries happen. Slumps happen. Even great teams can fall short. But if the Braves continue playing the way they have through the first two months of the season, they have a chance to make 2026 the most memorable season in franchise history. Not just because of the wins, but honoring those who are no longer with us.
The Braves entered this season with questions surrounding their roster, but sixty games later, they have answered every challenge with the best record in baseball and a renewed sense of purpose. This team is playing for another championship, but they are also playing for something bigger. If October ends with a parade down Peachtree Street, it won't just be remembered as a championship season. It will be remembered as a tribute to Ted Turner, Bobby Cox and Bob Horner.
