Series Preview #3: Braves @ Diamondbacks

If you look at the current Diamondbacks’ win-loss record, you could say that the season is going according to expectations, although, all truth told, the Diamondbacks do not necessarily have an easy start of the season with the World Series champions in our first series, a 2025 play-off team in our second series and a traditional contender like the Braves, who missed out on the play-offs in 2025 for the first time in 7 years, in our third series of the season.

Not entering April until just yesterday, the season is still very young, but sweeping the Tigers is a mighty statement from our side. What is there to say about our opponent beside the fact that we had their number last year, going 4-2?

Familiar faces.

The Braves have an okay start of the season, nothing spectacular. They beat the Royals in their opening series of the season at home and had a similar kind of matchup with the Athletics in their second series, winning both series 2-1. They will arrive at Arizona going 4-2.

They do so with quite a familiar team and lineup: Matt Olson, Ozzie Albies and Austin Riley are familiar faces on the dirt. So are the now healthy Ronald Acuña Jr and Michael Harris II in the outfield. Former Giant Mike Yastrzemski is nowadays manning left field, after being signed to a 2-year $23MM contract, while Mauricio Dubón, a utility gold glover whom the Braves acquired from the Astros for Nick Allen, is currently the fixed name at short stop.

Dubón should have lost that position to Ha-Seong Kim, were it not that the former Korean Padre injured his hand in Korea during the off-season and will be out until May-June. It puts another remarkable note to Kim’s career thus far in the major leagues. Injured during the final months of the 2024 season, he missed the play-offs with the Padres and surprisingly decided to decline an $8MM player option. Boras got him signed by the Rays, who stepped out of their comfort zone by offering $29MM over 2 years. He was injured for most of the year and only played from July to August, before getting injured again. The Rays put him on waivers and the Braves claimed. After a good showing in a small sample size in September, once again Kim surprised and decided to opt out of his final year and $16MM. Many jaws dropped when the Braves signed him again to a 1-year contract worth $20MM, supposedly declining a 4-year $48MM offer from the Athletics. That signing, right now, might have cost the Braves more than just money, because they could have allocated funds to areas that are in more need of improvement.

Have the Braves improved?

While we won’t see Kim, and apart from former foe Yastrzemski, there are a couple of other notable free agent signings: hard throwing Robert Suarez, well known from the Padres, was signed to a three year deal worth $45MM. Relievers Raisel Iglesias and Tyler Kinley also returned, respectively on 1 year $16MM and $4.25MM deals. Former friend Joel Payamps and veteran Martin Perez were also added to deals, the latter one as swingman between bullpen and starting rotation. On the depth chart we can find known names as Kyle Farmer (with the Rockies in 2025), Jorge Mateo, catcher Jonah Heim, and Dominic Smith (with the Giants in 2025).

On paper they seem to have become better, with Marcell Ozuno being the only 1+ fWAR player to have left the organization. As we probably know, former Padre and “Koninkrijk” buddy of mine Jurickson Profar is suspended for the entire season after testing positive again for PEDs, forfeiting around $15MM.

In 2025, the Braves’ offence and starting rotation were middle of the pack. Atlanta is surely banking on better production from Ozzie Albies (89 OPS+ in 2025), Michael Harris II (88 OPS+ in 2025) and Austin Riley (106 OPS+ in 2025 compared to 130 OPS+ in 2023) and a full season of Ronald Acuña Jr (95 games in 2025).

The rotation is lead by ace Chris Sale, who seems unstoppable ever since joining Atlanta, and we might be lucky he won’t pitch in this series. Spencer Schwellenbach makes for a fine 2nd, though is currently injured, he too is out for this series. Spencer Strider struggled in 2025, his first full season after returning from TJ, and also sustained an injury recently and is ruled out for this series too, so the number 2-3 now looks to be Reynaldo López. After him the starting rotation looks cloudy for the moment with Bryce Elder and Grant Holmes, though the first had a good start of the season. Prospects JR Ritchie and Didier Fuentes might be on the lookout for showing off what they have on the highest level in the first months of the season.

The weakest link in 2025 for Atlanta was the bullpen. They were better than Arizona’s, which isn’t that hard you’d say, but FanGraphs rated it as one of the worst in the league. Understandable that they went hard for Robert Suarez and were keen on bringing back valuable 2025 pieces Kinley and Iglesias. Together with lefties Dylan Lee and Aaron Bummer and new acquisitions Martin Perez and Joel Payamps, they should make for a stable relief corps, and thus could aspire a play-off spot once again.

All of that is lead by a new manager. After years of Brian Snitker, the manager wasn’t keen to commit and doubts about the 2025 performance by both sides resulted to bench manager Walt Weiss to be promoted to head coach. Weiss was the head coach of the Colorado Rockies from 2013 to 2016 and will look to improve on his highest total of 75 wins in that final season.

As normal, the Braves arrive with a team that will be tough to beat.

Matchups.

No confirmed starters as of writing.

Game #1 Thu 04/02 6:40 PM MST, Ryne Nelson (ARI) vs Reynaldo López (ATL).

• Ryne Nelson. 1 GS, 4.2 IP, 0 W-1 L, 7.71 ERA, 8.98 FIP, 1.07 WHIP, 4/3 K/BB.

• Reynaldo López. 1 GS, 6.0 IP, 0 W-0 L, 1.50 ERA, 5.36 FIP, 0.83 WHIP, 3/2 K/BB.

He deserves to be the Opening Day starter! That was what many of us said, including me, about Ryne Nelson. After that disappointing first performance we might be a bit less vocal now, and above all hope Nelson bounces back as soon as possible.

Opposite is Reynaldo López, who surfaced as an interesting bullpen piece in 2022 on the Chicago White Sox, after some anonymous years on that same team the years before. He followed that up with a good 2023 season in relief for White Sox, Angels and Guardians only to become an All Star as a starting pitcher on the 2024 Atlanta Braves. Unfortunately, he suffered a back injury after that and didn’t return until the end of the 2025 season. The hopes are high again in 2026, though it remains to be seen if Lopez can reach his 2024 heights. The righty, if fully healthy, normally sports a 95 mph fastball, a slider, changeup and curve.

López never faced the Diamondbacks as a starter, Nelson faced the Braves for the last time as a starter two years ago.

Game #2 Fri 04/03 6:45 PM MST, Eduardo Rodriguez (ARI) vs Grant Holmes (ATL).

• Eduardo Rodriguez. 1 GS, 5.0 IP, 1 W-0 L, 0.00 ERA, 2.40 FIP, 1.20 WHIP, 5/2 K/BB.

• Grant Holmes. 1 GS, 5.0 IP, 0 W-1 L, 5.40 ERA, 5.40 FIP, 1.40 WHIP, 4/2 K/BB.

E-Rod was lights out in his first appearance and we all hope he continues to perform that way in his second appearance of the season, opposite Grant Holmes.

Holmes debuted in 2024 and pitched in 22 games last season, providing 115.0 valuable innings with a 3.99 ERA until he went down late July with a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament and was done for the year. Instead of undergoing TJ, he opted to rehab the elbow and thus far has ducked surgery and avoided a long absence. Holmes had a great Spring, and had two good opening innings against Kansas before giving up a run in each of the next 3 innings. The righty has a good slider and curve, but his 94 mph fastball is one of the weakest in the league.

Holmes faced the Diamondbacks twice in his career, both of the times last season. It were two no-decisions, though he gave up 3 runs in 3.1 innings on June 5 and 6 runs in 5.2 innings on April 26. In the April matchup the Diamondbacks blew a 6-2 lead and lost after 10 innings (8-7). In the June outing the Diamondbacks rallied for 7 runs in the 9th inning, beating the Braves 11-10.

Rodriguez faced the Braves twice in his career, the last time in 2021, when he was still with the Red Sox.

Game #3 Sat 04/04 4:15 PM MST, Michael Soroka (ARI) vs Bryce Elder (ATL).

• Michael Soroka. 1 GS, 5.0 IP, 1 W-0 L, 0.00 ERA, -0.20 FIP, 1.00 WHIP, 10/1 K/BB.

• Bryce Elder. 1 GS, 6.0 IP, 1 W-0 L, 0.00 ERA, 2.03 FIP, 1.00 WHIP, 5/1 K/BB.

We surely hope the Canadian will continue his good work in his second outing, where he will face Bryce Elder, who wasn’t as good as Soroka was in his first matchup, but completed 6 innings without giving up a run. Bryce Elder was an All Star in 2023, but has lost his shine ever since that 2023 All Star break, last season pitching to a 5.30 ERA. The league seems to have adjusted to him, though he kept the Royals off the board in his first serious outing of 2026. Elder is a soft-tosser with a 91 mph sinker and needs his off-speed pitches to work, but his changeup was his worst pitch in 2025.

Soroka has faced the Braves just once in his career, in 2024, and got a no-decision. No-decisions were also the outcome for Elder’s starts against the Diamondbacks, one in 2024 and the first one in 2023.

Game #4 Sun 04/05 1:10 PM MST, Brandon Pfaadt (ARI) vs TBD (ATL).

• Brandon Pfaadt. 1 GS, 6.0 IP, 0 W-0 L, 7.50 ERA, 2.70 FIP, 1.17 WHIP, 3/1 K/BB.

Atlanta’s starter is a question mark. This spot in the rotation was given to Jose Suarez but the Venezuelan had a short start of 3.2 innings, giving up 4 runs. He could get another start, but the odds are good that the Braves might give the starting job for this matchup to veteran Martin Perez or one of the rookies, like Didier Fuentes. That might give Pfaadt the chance to get his first win of the season and forget about his tough 3rd inning against Detroit.

At home, Pfaadt has faced the Braves twice in his career, getting two wins, the last time on April 27 in 2025. The last time he faced the Braves, he gave up 6 runs in 3 innings in Atlanta, but it was that June game where the Diamondbacks went on to rally for 7 runs, so he got to avoid a loss.