The Braves and their upcoming Wild Card Series against the Padres has all of us talking. It’s one of those “who’s going to step up” moments. The Braves are down a key lefty, Chris Sale, who’s dealing with some back issues that have lingered since his last start on Sept. 19.
Sale’s absence leaves Atlanta scrambling for a Game 1 starter. Max Fried is locked in for Game 2 and Reynaldo López will likely handle a potential Game 3, there’s a huge question mark hanging over the first game.
So, what are our options? Charlie Morton just pitched on Sunday, and Spencer Schwellenbach went deep into the eighth inning during Monday’s first game of the doubleheader against the Mets. Grant Holmes? He tossed four scoreless innings in the nightcap that clinched the Braves’ postseason berth. The bottom line is that none of these players are available.
So, who’s left in the mix? Three names keep popping up: Ian Anderson, AJ Smith-Shawver, and Bryce Elder. Let’s break them down.
First up, Anderson. Now, if you’re looking for a guy who’s shown postseason magic, Anderson might be your guy. His 1.26 ERA in eight playoff starts is legendary stuff—names like Stephen Strasburg and Christy Mathewson are the only other pitchers in baseball history to put up sub-1.50 ERAs over at least eight playoff starts.
That’s elite company right there. The catch? Anderson hasn’t pitched in the majors since 2022, thanks to Tommy John surgery. He’s spent most of his time post-recovery at Triple-A, where he’s been solid, allowing just four earned runs in his final three starts over 17 innings. So, he’s in form, but there’s always a question of whether he’s truly ready to jump back into the big leagues, especially on the postseason stage.
Then there’s Bryce Elder, a 2022 All-Star whose action has fallen off a bit. His second half in 2023 was rough—posting a 6.52 ERA across 10 starts. Yikes. His lone postseason start didn’t end well either; he blanked the Phillies for two innings before giving up six runs in the third inning of Game 3 in the NL Division Series. Still, Elder’s been on the 40-man roster all season, so that gives him a leg up if the Braves want to avoid shuffling things around too much.
Lastly, we’ve got the young and talented AJ Smith-Shawver. If the Braves decide to go bold, they might just hand the ball to this fireballer. The No. 2 Braves prospect has serious strikeout potential, hitting double-digit Ks in two of his last three Triple-A starts. But—and it’s a big but—he also served up four home runs in just six innings in his last outing. It’s not exactly the kind of stat line that screams confidence in a do-or-die playoff game. Still, Smith-Shawver got a taste of postseason action last year, so he’s not completely green.
Anderson, despite his postseason success, isn’t on the 40-man roster right now. The Braves will have to make a roster move if they want him in rotation. Moving Spencer Strider to the 60-day IL would make the most sense.
So, who gets the nod for Game 1 with Chris Sale out? It’s a tough call. Do the Braves gamble on Anderson’s proven playoff performance, or do they roll the dice with the inexperience but high upside of Smith-Shawver? Either way, it’s going to be an interesting start to the Wild Card Series for the Braves.
