Back to the playoffs? Check out the AJC’s season predictions for the Braves

Chad Bishop, Braves beat writer: I had thought, coming into spring training, that the Braves had a legitimate shot to be the second-best team in the NL East, behind the Phillies. About 40 days later, after the team’s rash of (more) injuries, coupled with the suspension of Jurickson Profar, I lean more toward the Braves falling behind the Mets for a third-place finish.

However! I believe this Braves’ offense will bounce back and keep the team in the postseason picture until the very end. And perhaps fortune will be on their side and a divisional rival will falter, allowing the Braves to slide into a wild-card spot when the calendar turns to October.

Ken Sugiura, columnist: This feels like a shot in the dark. Last year, it was easy to think the offense would bounce back from its down 2024 performance, but it didn’t happen. There’s reason again to think Ronald Acuña Jr., Matt Olson and Austin Riley will help the Braves surpass the team’s production of the past two years, but will they?

Likewise, the thought that “The starting rotation can’t get dinged up again like it did last year” has already proved flawed.

The Braves could win 79 games (because the pitching never gains full health and the lineup is fine but not great), or 93 (Spencer Strider regains his form, Spencer Schwellenbach is himself when he comes back and Acuña and Olson play like MVPs) and neither would really surprise me.

Let’s put it in the middle: 86 wins and a wild-card berth.

Gabe Burns, sports writer: I think the Braves are a playoff team, even with their depleted rotation, because of their offense. They’ll need health luck there, but this lineup at full strength should be among baseball’s best. Ronald Acuña Jr., Matt Olson and Austin Riley make up an excellent trio upon which to construct a lineup. Drake Baldwin is expected to continue his ascension into becoming a premier catcher. I also think the Raisel Iglesias-Robert Suarez tandem in the back of the bullpen should be trustworthy to protect late leads.

The team needs Chris Sale to stay healthy. It needs Spencer Strider to return and look like his old self. It needs some pitchers to punch above their weight. It needs midseason reinforcements — whether that’s Spencer Schwellenbach, Hurston Waldrep or trade(s) — but there’s too much talent here to bet against them if the roster is moderately healthy.

I have the Phillies winning the National League East again, but the Braves qualifying for a wild card. I’ll go 89 wins.

Rod Beard, Senior Sports Editor: Teams often get hit with the injury bug, but then there’s the injury monster that’s plagued the Braves over the past two seasons. Pitching will be a huge question mark, but if they can persevere through the first few months of the season and the myriad injuries, they could stay above water and have a shot at a wild-card spot. They’ll have to have a solid start to the season — and the first big test will be the first 13 games in 13 days, including a western trip.

Manager Walt Weiss will have an early test in his first season, but there are enough veterans on the roster to help settle things in the clubhouse. If they carry the team in the first half of the season, the pitching should be able to keep up through the summer months.

Is 90 wins enough to get a wild-card spot? It’ll need to be if the Braves are going to get back to the postseason this year.