Through 2023.
Largely, this is a focus on career regular season value, due to time considerations. I'm doing this with the idea of a possible tournament, so I'm not just putting together the best 26 players, I'm trying to construct a roster. Every spot has a backup, 16 position players/10 pitchers. Making platoon considerations, each team has 2 dedicated closers, each bullpen has a lefty.
Mgr. Bobby Cox
(no other Braves manager is within a thousand wins)
Starting Lineup v. RH
C B.McCann (L)
1B F.Freeman (L)
2B O.Albies (S)
SS H.Long (L)
3B E.Mathews (L)
LF W.Berger
CF A.Jones
RF H.Aaron
DH C.Jones (S)
Starting Lineup v LH
C J.Torre
1B D.Murphy
2B O.Albies (S)
SS J.Logan
3B E.Mathews (L)
LF W.Berger
CF A.Jones
RF H.Aaron
DH C.Jones
Reserves
1B/LF/C F.Tenney (L)
2B/SS R.Maranville
LF/RF/CF R.Acuna
RF/CF T.Holmes (L)
Billy Nash has 30 career Braves Fangraphs WAR but is limited to third base and clearly stuck behind the top two. Second base is a challenge, Albies still gaining value as an active player through 2023 makes him a better selection than Bobby Lowe - and Maranville's got too much Braves career WAR to leave off the roster in favor of Lowe and while primarily a shortstop, he finished his career with a couple of seasons as the Braves starting second baseman. Hugh Duffy has more WAR than Acuna as of 2023, but probably won't for long and so Acuna gets that spot. Murphy had over 200 games as the Brave first baseman and that's enough to get him a spot against lefties.
SP K.Nichols
W.Spahn (L)
P.Niekro
J.Smoltz
G.Maddux
RP C.Kimbrel
G.Garber
T.Glavine (L)
V.Willis
J.Clarkson (RF)
Top 8 career Braves b-ref WAR and the two career leaders in saves.
