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2026 Atlanta Braves Predictions with Odds to Win World Series and Futures Picks

by Ryan Cobbett - 3/24/2026

Atlanta Braves predictions Ronald Acuna Jr

The Atlanta Braves went from being a perennial playoff threat, to an abysmal fall and missing the playoffs altogether last season. The biggest storylines for the Braves continue to be injuries to their rotation and whether or not their lineup can return to its dominance. The Braves are already suffering from some big injuries in the rotation as Spencer Strider, Hurston Waldrep, Spencer Schwellenbach, and Joey Wentz will begin the season on the IL. The lineup added some pop, but there are already injury concerns there as well. All in all, the Braves are faced with some interesting scenarios regarding roster turnout and how the front office will get them back to the playoffs.

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Summary of Last Season

Last season, the Braves faced a terrible setback. They are in the midst of what should be a long winning window, but last season they failed to make the playoffs. The Braves went just 76-86, though they did finish with just a -6-run differential. Atlanta finished 20 games out of first place in the NL East, and they were four games worse than their expected record of 80-82.

The lineup has fallen from its historic season just a few years ago. They finished 13th in runs, 15th in hits, 14th in homeruns, 13th in OPS, and 26th in stolen bases. Matt Olson led the lineup with a 6.1 WAR. He clubbed a team best 29 homeruns, recorded a team best 95 RBIs, and finished with a .850 OPS. Drake Baldwin finished second on the team with a 3.3 WAR after hitting 19 homeruns, tallying 80 RBIs, and a .810 OPS in just 124 games played. Michael Harris II posted a 20/20 season, while Marcell Ozuna (21) and Ronald Acuna (21) also eclipsed the 20-homerun milestone. Harris led the team with 20 stolen bases, Ozzie Albies finished second with 14, and Eli White was the only other Braves player to record double-digit stolen bases with 10.

The pitching wasn’t any better. The Braves were faced with a multitude of injuries to both their rotation and bullpen. They finished 22nd in the league with a 4.36 ERA, 20th in homeruns allowed, 19th in walks, and 20th in WHIP. Chris Sale finished with a staff best 3.9 WAR after recording a 2.58 ERA, tallying 165 strikeouts, and posting 11 quality starts in 125.2 innings of work. Schwellenbach was solid, but he was limited to just 17 starts. He finished with a 3.09 ERA in 110.2 innings of work, while adding a rotation best 0.97 WHIP.

Key Additions/Losses

When the disappointing season officially ended, the Braves watched Jarred Kelenic, Alexis Diaz, Dane Dunning, Ozuna, Charlie Morton, David Fletcher, Jake Fraley, and Pierce Johnson hit the free agent market. The Braves later traded Nick Allen and non-tendered Alek Manoah.

The additions far outweighed the subtractions, at least in volume as the team tries to return to the postseason. They added infielder/outfielder Mauricio Dubon in the deal for Allen. Atlanta also signed Elieser Hernandez, Ben Gamel, Mike Yastrzemski, Robert Suarez, James Karinchak, Ha-Seong Kim, Tayler Scott, Jose Azocar, Javy Guerra, Jorge Mateo, Martin Perez, Kyle Farmer, Jonah Heim, Dominic Smith, and Rowdy Tellez.

Prospect Outlook

The Atlanta Braves farm system is not in good shape. Their current minor league field of prospects includes just two players ranked inside the MLB’s Top 100 Prospect Rankings. Left-hander Cam Caminiti is the Braves highest rated prospect, coming in at 68th on the list. He has a fastball that can reach the upper-90s, and he has a swing-and-miss slider. Right-hander JR Ritchie joins him as the only other Atlanta prospect on the rankings. He is ranked 90th and he is expected to reach the big leagues this season.

X-Factors

Health- This is by far and away the most important variable for the Braves. As mentioned, Schwellenbach, Strider, Wentz, and Waldrep are all on the IL to start the season. Kim is also out for an extended time, Jurickson Profar was suspended, and they haven’t gotten a full season out of Acuna since his ACL issues. On top of that, Olson, Harris, and Albies were the only three players to appear in more than 150 games last season. Austin Riley appeared in just 102 games, while Acuna managed just 95, and Profar appeared in just 80. The Braves need a consistent presence from their expected starters, both on the mound and in the lineup, if they want to compete this season. Unfortunately, they are already starting the season behind this goal. Last season, they failed to find a solid solution while their stars healed from injury. That can’t happen again here or else it is going to be a long summer.

2026 Atlanta Braves Notable Odds:

Win Total: 87.5

World Series Champions- +1900

Pennant Winners- +1000

Division Winners- +230

NL MVP- Ronald Acuna +1100

NL MVP- Austin Riley +5000

NL Cy Young- Chris Sale +900

NL Cy Young- Spencer Strider +3000

2026 Atlanta Braves Predictions

Until the Braves can prove they have some durability in the locker room, I am out on the Braves. They have been incredibly disappointing over the past few seasons since their World Series win, and they need to figure it out. Acuna is not the star he used to be, and the rest of the lineup went from elite to merely average at best. The clubhouse lacks leadership. And while that may change with the new head bench coach, it will take more than this season to turn the tides on the current state of the roster. They may obtain a winning record this season, but they will fail to reach the playoffs, and I don’t see a 10-win improvement on paper. Take the under on the win total, and stay away.

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