Atlanta’s 2025 season ends with a playoff miss, but a nine-game win streak reframes the narrative. The Braves sit at 74-83, 6.5 back in the Wild Card chase, yet their flawless nine-game stretch (no errors, sub-five runs per game, and a +46 run differential) signals elite talent and a potential title window reopening in 2026.

Ronald Acuña Jr. anchors the lineup alongside a resurgent Chris Sale atop a deep rotation. Matt Olson, Drake Baldwin, Sean Murphy, Austin Riley and Michael Harris II finish strong, while Spencer Strider eyes a bounce-back after Tommy John. The run also included wins over Nationals, Tigers and Astros, underscoring their capacity to spoil division races.

For fantasy managers, the Houston, Detroit and Seattle tests in 2026 loom as a gauge of Braves’ ceiling. Expect Acuña’s multi-category impact to lead, with Sale and Strider as key rotation anchors and Olson/Harris II maintaining high-year upside.

Murphy will undergo season-ending surgery on his right hip for a labral tear, with recovery estimated at four months and a spring-training return as the goal. He has three years and $45 million left on his contract, plus a 2029 club option. This season he slashed .199 with 16 homers and 45 RBIs in 94 games, after a .193 mark in 2024 and career highs of 21 HR and 68 RBI in 2023. Drake Baldwin emerged as Atlanta’s top catching option midseason, while Sandy León will back up the position for the rest of the year.

The Braves now lean on Baldwin and León to handle the catching duties while Murphy recovers, which could shift workload and fantasy value at the backstop spot. Murphy’s absence creates a clearer path for Baldwin to showcase his bat and defense, while León provides veteran depth to steady the ship behind the plate. The injury ripple affects lineup construction and daily fantasy projections for Atlanta’s hitters and pitchers in the short term.

Murphy will undergo season-ending surgery on a right-hip labral tear, with an estimated four-month recovery and a return targeted for spring training. He posted a .199/.709 OPS line with 16 homers across 94 games in 2025 and has three years and $45 million left on a deal with a 2029 option. The Braves will lean on Sandy León for the rest of the season, while Drake Baldwin had emerged as the club’s top catching option earlier this year, leaving questions about Murphy’s long-term health and role in 2026.

For fantasy managers, Murphy’s absence trims Braves catcher assets for the short term and elevates León’s value as a streamer behind the plate. Baldwin’s midseason breakout adds a layer of upside if Murphy’s health allows a post-recovery return, but León’s assignment signals the club’s immediate priority on solid defense and steady catching until Murphy reclaims his role. The injury reshapes the Braves’ catcher landscape as they push toward spring training.