HOUSTON -- The Braves concluded the regular season and learned their first-round opponent on Sunday.
Atlanta will open the postseason with yet another battle against Philadelphia. The Braves and Phillies will begin the best-of-three NL Wild Card Series on Tuesday at 2 p.m. ET at Truist Park.
Here’s a look at what’s next:
What might the postseason roster look like?
The Braves will be playing in the best-of-three NL Wild Card Series, which is played over three straight days and begins Tuesday. If they were to participate in the best-of-five NL Division Series, which includes two off-days and begins on Saturday, the roster construction, namely the pitching staff composition, could look different.
C: Drake Baldwin, Sean Murphy
1B: Matt Olson
2B: Ozzie Albies
SS: Mauricio Dubón, Ha-Seong Kim
3B: Austin Riley
LF: Mike Yastrzemski, Brewer Hicklen, DaShawn Keirsey Jr.
CF: Michael Harris II
RF: Ronald Acuña Jr.
UT: Kyle Farmer
SPs: Chris Sale, Tyler Mahle, Grant Holmes
RPs: Raisel Iglesias, Robert Suarez, Didier Fuentes, Dylan Lee, Dylan Dodd, AJ Smith-Shawver, Victor Mederos, Ray Kerr, Brent Suter, James Karinchak
What are the options?
Keirsey would be the primary option to come off the bench as a pinch-runner.
Hicklen gets the nod as a backup outfielder, with Lane Thomas expected to miss the Wild Card Series while recovering from a strained left intercostal muscle. While Thomas is sidelined, Dubón could play left field against left-handed starters. This would open the door for Kim to get a start at the shortstop position.
With Drake Baldwin frequently serving as the designated hitter, the Braves will likely carry a third catcher. But they may not choose that do that in the three-game series. Farmer could be an emergency catcher. If they want an experienced catcher, they could go with Chuckie Robinson or Maverick Handley, who both played for Triple-A Gwinnett this year.
What is the postseason schedule?
Click here for MLB’s full postseason schedule.
The NL Wild Card Series begins on Tuesday, and the NLDS begins on Saturday.
Who will they face?
The Braves will play the Phillies in the postseason for the third time this decade. Philadelphia eliminated Atlanta from the NLDS in 2022 and '23.
How could they line up their rotation for the first series?
With just three healthy experienced starters remaining, there’s no reason to debate the options. Sale will start Game 1 and Mahle will start Game 2 on Wednesday afternoon. Holmes could start Game 3 (if necessary) on Thursday, but the Braves may choose to use Kerr or Suter as an opener. Holmes would then follow with the hope he could pitch at least four innings.
What is the Braves’ most recent postseason history?
The Braves were eliminated in the NLDS in both 2018 and '19. When they advanced to the 2020 NLCS, it marked the first time since '01 they had advanced past the NLDS. They haven’t won a playoff series in any of the three postseason trips they’ve made since winning the 2021 World Series.