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The Atlanta Braves are 40-19 on the season, and they're the first and only team to reach 40 wins in 2026, and no other team will come close to 40 wins through May.
Coming into the regular season, there were a ton of question marks about this team, with Atlanta's rotation being a huge area of concern. But that's now a strength of the team, and instead, the catcher position has gone from a strength to a big problem.
Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report called out the Braves' catching depth, thanks to the Drake Baldwin and Sean Murphy injuries, as Atlanta's biggest problem this season. But, as they've shown since Baldwin's injured list stint began, this big problem isn't an issue.
Braves biggest problem isn't posing any issues just yet
"Atlanta Braves: Depth Chart at Catcher," Miller writes. "If you've ever needed a reminder of how quickly a surplus can turn into a deficit on an MLB roster, look no further than Atlanta's current predicament at catcher."
Baldwin and Murphy looked like the best catcher tandem in baseball, which made the trade of Jonah Heim to the Athletics seem like a no-brainer.
But, both Murphy and Baldwin landed on the injured list, and the Braves are now down to Sandy Leon and Chadwick Tromp at catcher. Leon has a .166 OPS in 11 games and 24 at-bats, while Tromp has a .513 OPS in 10 games and 21 at-bats this season.
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Those are some less-than-ideal catcher options. But, since Baldwin landed on the IL alongside Murphy after May 18, the Braves have gone 8-3.
Despite the Braves losing the entirety of their star catching duo, they've been more than able to keep things afloat in their absence.
While Miller is correct in identifying the Baldwin and Murphy injuries at the catcher position as the Braves' biggest problem this season, it hasn't actually seemed to impact the Braves much, if at all, this season.
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