I don’t think I anticipated the Atlanta Braves to be present. This season has been riddled with injuries , rainouts and interesting pitching tactics.

I should stop talking about the Phillies. It even included some diseases. I think the most amazing thing we’ve done in the previous 20 years is probably winning 89 games and making the playoffs with this bunch of players. Throughout the season, this squad kept hurting one foot while shooting the other frequently.

The Braves will travel to San Diego for a three-game series against the Padres after miraculously making it through the regular season. After three days of intense games, the first question is who gets to start Game 1.

Pitcher Locks (8): Aaron Bummer, Daysbel Hernandez, Joe Jimenez, Pierce Johnson, Dylan Lee, Raisel Iglesias, Max Fried, Reynaldo Lopez, and Aaron Bummer

There seems to be no stopping this eight. Although Fried and Lopez seem set for Game 2 and possibly even Game 3, most of the conversation seems to revolve around the starting lineup from Game 1. Here in the bullpen are the typical suspects. Even though Pierce Johnson’s output has declined since August, I’ll still mention him because yesterday he was still able to preserve a game.

Pitcher Question Marks (9): John Brebbia, Jesse Chavez, Luke Jackson, AJ Smith-Shawver, Ian Anderson, Bryce Elder, Grant Holmes, Charlie Morton, and Spencer Schwellenbach

Here are three possibilities for the bullpen and six options for starting pitchers. Ian Anderson last pitched for Atlanta on August 13, 2022. However, he was a starting pitcher for AAA Gwinnett in April 2023 after recovering from Tommy John surgery. He has 52.1 innings of AAA experience and a 3.96/4.89/4.35 line. Despite giving up six or more runs in four of his ten games this season, Bryce Elder is a candidate to start the first game. AJ Smith-Shawver, who has gained more experience in AAA this season, could start the opening game. In the previous two days, Spencer Schwellenbach, Charlie Morton, and Grant Holmes have all started games.

may not be accessible. Despite not being on the roster right now, John Brebbia has a 2.87 FIP and 3.33 xFIP this season against righties, and the Padres have plenty of those. In September, Jesse Chavez is a respectable multiple-inning option with a 1.67 FIP. Despite having a 3.74 FIP in the second half, Luke Jackson has been prone to losing games.