Walt Weiss warns rest of MLB about Braves’ lineup ‘gauntlet’

The Atlanta Braves are currently taking part in spring training as they prepare for the upcoming 2026 MLB season. The Braves’ pitching department has already been hit hard by the injury bug in the preseason, with Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep already both having been ruled out for the opening chunk of the season due to various ailments.

The Braves’ offense is hoping for a bounce back year in 2026 after seeing major regression across the board last season, and recently, newly minted Atlanta manager Walt Weiss spoke on the high hopes he has for the team’s order this year.

“When that lineup turns over, man, I want it to be a gauntlet. It starts with Ronald (Acuña Jr.) and it’s tough to catch your breath. That’s the plan,” said Weiss, per Chad Biship of the AJC on X, formerly Twitter.

Indeed, Acuna Jr. remains the head of the snake for Atlanta, looking to recapture his 2023 MVP form after dealing with some injuries over the last couple of years.

Meanwhile, Atlanta will want to see a return to form for various other players on their roster, including Ozzie Albies, Matt Olson, and Austin Riley, each of whom had down years, at least by their standards, during the 2025 season, which saw the Braves miss out on the playoffs for the first time in nearly a decade.

Of course, the Braves’ offensive firepower must be supplemented by a strong pitching game, and right now, there are major question marks in that department for Atlanta, specifically after the injury to Schwellenbach. Many had already been clamoring for the team to add another starting-level pitcher even before this latest injury onslaught, and those calls have only grown louder over the last week.

In any case, the Braves’ 2026 season will officially begin with a series against the Kansas City Royals in late March.

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