Following a successful 2024 season, Reynaldo López entered the 2026 season looking to answer some questions with regards to his future as a starting pitcher. Would he be able to put it all together and
deliver a repeat performance? Unfortunately, we never really got the answer to that question. Let’s get into it.
How acquired
The Braves brought in López in November 2023 on a three-year, $26 million deal. After an impressive 2024 season, the Braves and López came to an agreement on a restructured deal that now includes a team option for 2028.
What were the expectations?
Reynaldo López’s emergence as a reliable starter helped propel the Braves to having the best rotation in baseball in 2024 — one that arguably saved their season in an effort to ultimately limp into the Postseason that year. The obvious hope for López in 2025 was that he’d be able to prove that he wasn’t a one-season wonder as a starting pitcher and that he’d be able to become a reliable starter for Atlanta’s rotation going forward.
With that being said, the question surrounding López’s ability to eat up innings going forward was a legitimate concern. While López got just under 136 innings under his belt in 2024, he hadn’t even come close to breaking the 100-inning mark in any of the previous four seasons. Combine that with the fact that he had already crossed the ever-present rubicon of age-30 and it was understandable to be a little bit skeptical that López could deliver a repeat performance of what he accomplished during the 2024 season. Still, the Braves clearly had faith in him to pull it off as they didn’t make too many drastic changes to the rotation heading into the 2025 season.
2025 results
Well, we wouldn’t really get an answer to that question (or depending on how you interpret the situation, maybe we did get an answer). López looked very shaky during spring training, which led to speculation that he may have been hurt all the way back during camp due to the alarming lack of velocity and overall stuff from him during that period of time.
The concerns ended up being extremely valid. López looked shaky again in his season debut against the Padres, as he only went five innings while giving up nine hits and three runs (including a leadoff dinger against Fernando Tatis Jr.) with just two walks and only one strikeout. A few days later, Reynaldo López was placed on the IL and then shortly after that, the team announced that he’d need surgery on his shoulder that would cost him at least two months of the season.
It ended up costing him the entire season — that start in San Diego ended up being the only five innings that Reynaldo López would pitch in 2025. We didn’t get a chance to see if he could repeat 2024 because he stumbled right out of the gate.
What went right?
Folks, it’s extremely difficult to find something good about a season that only lasted five innings with three runs allowed. I guess we’ll go with his strikeout of Manny Machado in the third inning of that contest, which ended up being the only strikeout of López’s 2025 season.
What went wrong?
Obviously, his shoulder injury takes the cake here. On the field, I suppose we’ll give it to him giving up a leadoff dinger to Fernando Tatis Jr. on a 93-mph heater that you absolutely should not leave in that particular spot of the strike zone for Fernando Tatis Jr.
2026 outlook
If you believe Alex Anthopoulos, the Braves are planning to continue utilizing Reynaldo López as a starting pitcher going forward. López himself has stated that he plans on being a starter going forward. With that being said, it’s fair to wonder when you consider his durability as to whether or not López would be better off going back to the bullpen going forward. López will also have a lot to prove following his shoulder surgery and the season-long layoff that he experienced in 2025. For the second week in a row, one of the biggest question marks surrounding the Braves will be Reynaldo López.
