The Atlanta Braves’ postseason hopes may be all but dead, but there is still plenty to tune in for during the final month of the season. Let’s dig into the biggest storylines of September:
Jurickson Profar’s strong start
Let’s get one thing out of the way: Jurickson Profar getting popped for PED usage and suspended for half the season absolutely killed the Braves. This team had issues beyond a vacant left field for three months, but Profar’s absence was felt every night, short of a few hot days from Eli White.
Thankfully, with questions
abound coming off the suspension, Profar has been excellent since returning in early July. His numbers are equal to – if not better – than his career breakout season in 2024 with the Padres. His slugging numbers are through the roof, and he’s walked more times than he’s struck out since returning. His defense has even been less shaky over the last few weeks.
These are huge developments for the Braves, who are committed to Profar for two more seasons. They really need him to continue hitting at the top of the lineup moving forward; it is not a coincidence the offense has taken off since he’s returned to the top of the order.
Hurston Waldrep’s leash
Perhaps the most pleasant surprise of the second half – with a tip of the cap to Michael Harris, more to come soon – has been Hurston Waldrep.
While it has been a rollercoaster for Waldrep since being selected in the first round by the Braves two summers ago, Waldrep made significant adjustments in the early months of 2025 and has established himself with one of the better months not only among rookies, but among all starters in the majors.
Waldrep’s emergence has given the Braves another real option for the rotation in 2026. It will be curious to see just how far they let him go in September; he threw 100 innings last year, and he’s at roughly 130 this time around. My guess is they shut him down in the near future to preserve his arm, but regardless, the improvements Waldrep has made cannot be overstated for this team in desperate need of healthy, reliable starters.
Michael Harris II
After an abysmal first half, Harris has been one of the better hitters in the game since the All-Star Game. A change to his hand placement has led Harris to crush baseballs, even if his on-base skills still leave something to be desired.
A strong final month to the season will only give the Braves more reason for optimism that Harris has figured things out. There may not be a player on the roster whose performance in 2026 has a greater range of outcomes than Harris; will he regress to being arguably the worst hitter in the game, or will he continue to slug with the best of them? The truth is very likely somewhere in-between, and the Braves really need it to be on the better end of the pendulum if they want to get back to the top of the division next season.
Ozzie Albies’ pending option
Much has been written about Ozzie Albies and his future with Atlanta, including this most recent piece on Battery Power. While it was fair to say it truly felt 50/50 as of two months ago as Ozzie wrapped the first half with a dismal 71 wRC+ and .606 OPS, he’s been much better recently with a 108 wRC+ and .747 OPS since the break. Those numbers are plenty good enough if he can sustain them.
Albies is owed such little money in 2026 that it seems far more likely than not that he returns as the club’s second baseman, but a bad final four weeks could swing the pendulum the other way and force the front office to make a difficult decision.
Auditions for the prospects
With the pitching staff in desperate need of arms, how many of the pitching prospects in the upper minors will the Braves give a chance to, especially with the roster expanding and the likelihood of a few arms not pitching until the very end of the year?
Could J.R. Ritchie make his debut?
Will Hayden Harris finally get the call?
Might we see Didier Fuentes again?
I’ll put the over/under at 1.5 of those three names above. One thing is for certain, though: the Braves need arms to eat innings.
Other storylines
What else are you keeping an eye on in September? There’s of course the draft lottery odds and Chris Sale’s return, but there are plenty of other things, too. Let us know in the comments.
