MESA, Ariz. -- After 982 at-bats and 255 innings pitched over 29 Grapefruit League games, plus two exhibition games against the Cubs in Arizona for good measure, the Braves are nothing if not eager to take the field for Opening Day on Thursday in San Diego.
¡°They¡¯re ready. They¡¯ve had enough of camp,¡± manager Brian Snitker said before Tuesday¡¯s spring finale against the Cubs. ¡°We¡¯ve had a good camp, but I think these guys have been ready to go for a while.¡±
A straw poll taken of a handful of players confirms that. Here are some of their final thoughts as the exhibition season comes to a close, as well as their goals or mantras for the upcoming season:
Austin Riley
The 2022 and ¡®23 All-Star third baseman was limited to 110 games in ¡®24 after an errant pitch fractured his right hand on Aug. 18 and ended his season. He¡¯s a two-time Silver Slugger and has twice been named to the All-MLB team, so his goal is a simple one.
¡°Stay healthy,¡± he said.
¡°We¡¯ve just got to stay healthy. We¡¯ve got the team. We¡¯ve got the talent. It¡¯s a long season, so we¡¯ve just got to deal with the ebbs and flows of it, and I think if we do that we¡¯ve got ourselves a chance.¡±
The Braves are only four years removed from winning the World Series, and they largely have the same pieces in place, but the national attention has waned a bit with the rise of the Dodgers, the Phillies¡¯ sustained success and the Mets adding Juan Soto this offseason.
Is it possible a team this loaded is flying under the radar?
¡°I think that¡¯s what¡¯s going to be fun about this year,¡± Riley said. ¡°Our division is pretty loaded and it¡¯s going to be fun. The Phillies, the Mets, the Dodgers [are NL front-runners], but baseball is played out there between the lines, and we¡¯ll see what happens.¡±
Matt Olson
The All-Star first baseman had a down year by his lofty standards in 2024, hitting .247 with 29 homers and 98 RBIs. But he did play in all 162 games for the third straight season, providing some stability to a team that was snake-bitten by injuries.
He¡¯s had a rather quiet spring, but he¡¯s heating up at the right time, taking Cubs right-hander Ryan Brasier deep on Monday.
¡°I think it¡¯s been a good camp for us,¡± Olson said. ¡°Aside from [injured catcher Sean Murphy] and [Jurickson] Profar rolling up on his wrist, we¡¯ve been pretty healthy. Pitching side has been healthy, which is good. Being able to see [Spencer] Strider on the mound and Ronald [Acu?a Jr.] take some BP, that¡¯s very encouraging.
¡°I feel like we¡¯re ready to go.¡±
What about a slogan for the upcoming season?
¡°I¡¯m not the wordsmith, so somebody else will think up a slogan,¡± said Olson.
Jarred Kelenic
The 25-year-old outfielder is entering his second full season with the Braves after a December 2023 trade with the Mariners, and he¡¯s looking to take the next step and cash in on the potential that had him ranked at the top of Seattle¡¯s system.
¡°Ready to get going and start playing games,¡± he said.
Kelenic also had Olson¡¯s back when it came to a mantra for the upcoming season.
¡°I¡¯d say our slogan is going to be putting one foot in front of the other and being present,¡± Kelenic said, ¡°taking care of one game at a time, one pitch at a time and understanding what we can and can¡¯t control.
¡°I think at the end of the day, if we can do those things, we¡¯ll be right where we want to be.¡±
Spencer Schwellenbach
The 24-year-old right-hander is entering his first full season after a meteoric rise and historic season in 2024.
¡°The only goals I really set for myself are to throw a full season, be healthy,¡± Schwellenbach said. ¡°I think throwing 200 innings is an awesome goal to have for me.¡±
Pressed a bit further, the former shortstop prospect might have one more goal.
Schwellenbach was called a defensive ¡°cheat code¡± by Braves lefty and defending Gold Glove winner Chris Sale. Does Schwellenbach also have designs on unseating Sale this season?
¡°Oh, absolutely. We talk about that all the time,¡± Schwellenbach said. ¡°I didn¡¯t have enough innings last year to qualify, but that¡¯s what I¡¯m shooting for this year.¡±