The Atlanta Braves are generating bold predictions for the season, including winning the World Series and achieving the best run differential in baseball. Manager Weiss is a strong candidate for Manager of the Year as the team performs well despite injuries.
Key points
Braves are making bold predictions for the 2026 season
Manager Weiss is a strong candidate for Manager of the Year
Braves have a run differential of +62
The team is performing well despite injuries to key players
Mentioned in this story
Weiss
Atlanta Braves
ATLANTA, GA - APRIL 15: Matt Olson #28 (wearing #42 in honor of Jackie Robinson) of the Atlanta Braves celebrates with Drake Baldwin #30 after hitting a two-run home run in the seventh inning during the game between the Miami Marlins and the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on Wednesday, April 15, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
ATLANTA, GA - APRIL 15: Matt Olson #28 (wearing #42 in honor of Jackie Robinson) of the Atlanta Braves celebrates with Drake Baldwin #30 after hitting a two-run home run in the seventh inning during the game between the Miami Marlins and the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on Wednesday, April 15, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Itâs been a bit of a tradition around here to have a Community Bold Predictions post. Last week, Demetrius put a boldest prediction post on our Feed. We got some interesting feedback. Letâs sift through these and have a look at some of the great ones.
Win the whole thing
This is a mainstay of the predictions post. Running the table and going all the way always gets a mention. Is it bold? Sure, I think so. Itâs been a minute since the Braves have made a deep playoff run. They havenât advanced to the NLCS since their World Series run. Right now, theyâre at +1400 to win it all. That suggests around a 7% chance to win it. That seems a tad low to me, considering how fast the Braves got out of the gate. are have about a 22% chance to make it to the World Series to lose.
This post is how you play. Pro-Braves and around 2-3% chance of happening? **Certified bold.**
Q&A
What are the bold predictions for the Atlanta Braves in 2026?
Bold predictions include the Braves winning the World Series and finishing with the best run differential in baseball.
Who is the leading candidate for National League Manager of the Year?
Manager Weiss of the Atlanta Braves is currently viewed as a leading candidate for the National League Manager of the Year award.
What is the Braves' current run differential and how does it compare to other teams?
The Braves have a run differential of +62, placing them first in baseball, ahead of teams like the Dodgers and Cubs.
How have injuries affected the Braves' performance this season?
Despite missing several key pitchers, the Braves have maintained a strong performance, currently holding a record of 16-7.
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If there was a MMA competition for MLB personnel, I would not want to be in Waltâs bracket. A little taekwondo, a little ground and pound. Thatâs a no from me. I do think Weiss has to be the leading candidate right now for the National League Manager of the Year competition. MOY is basically awarded to the manager of a team that improves the most year-to-year. And Atlantaâs 2026 is the opposite of last year so far.
Weiss is maybe 30% odds for Manager of the Year for me right now. Summer Slam? Iâm not telling him no, even if the Braves will be beating down the Nats that weekend. **Bold for me.**
Luke Williams gets a save
The MLB rules donât state it exactly but do imply that a player listed as a shortstop cannot get a save. However, ones classified as a two-way player can and pitchers do. He has a career 54 wRC+ and no true position. He has a lifetime 3.27/4.47/5.13 line and a 61 MPH eephus. So you can squint and say he might have more of a MLB job as a pitcher. That route would might start in Single-A Rome though. Maybe not this season, but soon?
Bold? **Oh please please please make this happen, baseball gods.**
Braves finish with best run differential in baseball
Iâm very curious about this one. So letâs dig in. The Dodgers were +48 coming into tonight (and looking like +57 after theyâre done with the Rockies). The Cubs are next at +34.
Coming into this season, the Braves were short five starting pitchers, Sean Murphy, Ha-Seong Kim, and Daysbel Hernandez. Spencer Strider will miss at least a month. It hasnât mattered. The Braves are 16-7 and in first place at +62 in run differential. Theyâre second in baseball in wRC+, second in wOBA, second in OPS. Theyâre first in ERA, sixth in FIP, fourth best at walk prevention.
Theyâre getting big contributions from the 17th to 26th players on the team. Bryce Elder, Grant Holmes have been great. Even Martin Perez and Jorge Mateo have chipped in. The Braves are also taking pitchers that pick up three-inning saves and cutting them or sending them to Gwinnett. Thatâs seemingly one large benefit of having an open competition for several spots. Guys threw themselves into Spring Training, and thatâs continued into the season. Interestingly the only open lineup spot that had a lot of coverage, left field, has not been great outside of super-utility Mauricio Dubon.
Their starters have been great as well. Drake Baldwin and Matt Olson have been on fire. Michael Harrisâ Savant page is filled with giant red bars. Chris Sale has been dominant as well. So theyâre gonna run away with the run differential title. Eh, maybe? Letâs look at the other side.
**Fangraphs Depth Charts isnât a Braves fan**
These are the Fangraphs Depth Charts estimates right now. This has the Bravesâ hitters in eighth in WAR, and the pitchers at tenth. WAR isnât perfect (and neither is projected WAR), but it can give you a good idea because itâs measured in runs above replacement. So itâs a decent proxy for run differential. These get updated throughout the season.
They do a great job at Fangraphs, but I have a couple of issues with it. One issue with Depth Charts is that it is underselling the contributions of the currently injured players and fringe players (or at least fringe coming into the season). Are Hurston Waldrep and Spencer Schwellenbach going to throw fewer than 60 innings each? Is Spencer Strider perma-broken at 120 innings and 2.0 WAR? Bryce Elder is only getting 110 innings, when he already has 30 and led the team last year?
Are the Braves keeping JR Ritchie and Didier Fuentes down on the farm for under 30 MLB innings apiece? JR has a sub 1.00 ERA in Gwinnett right now. Didier is mowing down practically everybody and looks completely bored in Triple-A for my eyes. With Strider coming back, Hurston Waldrep and Spencer Schwellenbach behind him, and two prospects looking to break down the door, the entry to the Bravesâ rotation is going to get higher. They have Martin Perez right now, who has been good and someone that the Braves will likely keep as depth. But heâs not long for the rotation, and may not stay through this week. I think the fifth starter in going to be getting 1.5-2.0 WAR per 150 innings pretty soon, and the top end might be closer to 4.
The other issue is that while I donât doubt their math, the numbers going into 2026 they they were mathing with have been soured by 2025. A lot of those poor numbers was the injury misfortune and results from the hitting approach from last season. Last year the hitting approach forced some aggressive players into worrying about swing rate and cutting down their swing with two strikes. But look at the turnaround that Michael Harris II has made. Heâs just concerned with killing the ball now, and thatâs it. And itâs handy because he can do that.
These factors along with some weird choices make me doubt the estimates. Drake Baldwin at 2.9? After a 3.1 WAR rookie year while playing zero DH? Heâs already at 0.9 WAR now. Mauricio Dubon at 1.1 WAR was always silly to me. Heâs already at 0.6. You can see most of the logic being applied, and FG is very good. But if theyâre off to the downside as much as they were to the upside last year, the Braves can win the team WAR title and likely the run differential one as well.
**The Braves schedule has been light so far**
The Braves will play a heavy schedule early (29 in the first 31 days), but the competition will be light. Thereâs only one 2025 playoff team in that time, and itâs the Phillies. I think Philly will piece it together soon, but right now theyâre a train wreck. Itâs been the Kansas City Royals, the (donât call me Sacramento or any city) Athletics, D-backs, Angels, Guardians, Marlins, Nats, and those underperforming Phillies. It hasnât been murdererâs row. And they are killing them, like any top team should. But letâs pump the brakes a little. They havenât met the NL West or NL Central. And outside of the Rockies, theyâre decent to outstanding. The Guardians look good, but the Braves havenât met the Dodgers, Yankees, and Cubs yet. And those look to be the top teams.
**The Dodgers might lap the field**
Speaking of the Dodgers, they are punishing the Rockies tonight. (Though along with the White Sox, Colorado is barely in professional baseball.) The Dodgers will field Yamamoto, Glasnow, Sheehan, Snell, Ohtani in the rotation. They have Ohtani, Tucker, Betts, Freeman, Smith, Muncy for hitters and on and on. Theyâre pegged at 47 WAR this season, far and away the best. Itâs almost not fair the wealth of talent and pocketbook.
**The TLDR**
And yet, the Braves have the Dodgers beaten by 5 runs in the run differential race. Can the Braves outrun the Dodgers, injuries, and a tougher schedule? Iâll put it at around 20 percent. **Definitely a bold prediction.** Letâs just make sure they can beat the Dodgers in the playoffs when it really counts.