ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – It’s been a week since the Atlanta Braves began spring training in North Port, Florida.
Position players had to officially report on Feb. 17 with the first full-squad practice set for Feb. 18.
Here’s a few notes from the first week:
Spencer Strider
Strider looks sharp. He’s looking to return this year after missing most of 2024 with an ACL injury. Braves’ general manager Alex Anthopoulos said the goal is for him to pitch in some Grapefruit League games, but did not want to put a timetable on his return.
Strider drew quite a crowd during a bullpen session on Friday with multiple pitchers on the team watching from the side. He jokingly said they must have been “bored.”
Ronald Acuña, Jr.
While we are talking about injuries, let’s chat about Acuña. He also missed most of last season after a second ACL injury. He looks to be moving smoothly and has no hesitation on the field. Acuña mentioned taking it easier on base stealing, but Anthopoulos explained that for Acuna that is easier said than done.
Bullpen Opportunities
Both manager Brian Snitker and Anthopoulos have referenced how intriguing the bullpen options are this spring training.
The Braves’ 2025 bullpen will look rather different from last year’s squad after losing A.J. Minter and Jesse Chavez to free agency. Joe Jimenez will likely miss the season due to knee surgery. The team signed a plethora of bullpen arms this offseason to compensate; Dany Jiménez, Chad Kuhl, Jake Diekman, Dylan Covey and Buck Farmer all received minor league deals.
It is where the Braves’ general manager told Atlanta News First sports director Baillie Burmaster that he sees a lot of decisions coming.
Catchers
Fans were sad to see catcher Travis D’Arnaud and that is understandable. However, Anthopoulos said it was strictly a money decision at the end of the day. That leaves Sean Murphy to lead the way with Chadwick Tromp to fill-in when Murphy needs a rest.
But do not overlook Drake Baldwin who was a star last season in Triple-A with the Gwinnett Stripers. In 72 games with Gwinnett, he slashed .298/.407/.484, good enough for an .891 OPS. His OPS was the highest among Stripers who didn’t appear in the majors in 2024. He was named to the All-Star Futures Game.
Veterans Curt Casali, Sandy León and Adam Zebrowski are also at spring training.
Tim Hyers
Like Anthopoulos said, every player in the line up had a down year in 2024 except Marcell Ozuna. That is where the Braves are hoping new hitting coach Tim Hyers can get things back on track.
The Atlanta native and former major-leaguer was the hitting coach for the Boston Red Sox’s 2018 championship run and the Texas Rangers’ 2023 World Series win.
Hyers is a positive coach who blends analytics with a player-friendly approach.
