The Blue Jays head to Atlanta for their first and only visit of the year to take on the Atlanta Braves, who currently hold the third and final Wild Card spot in the NL. The Braves are tied with the New York Mets in a race that will likely come down to the last few games of the season. Let’s see what Toronto is up against this weekend.

September 6th, 7:20 EST: Kevin Gausman (12-10, 4.07 ERA) vs Max Fried (8-8, 3.52 ERA)

September 7th, 7:20 EST: Jose Berrios (14-9, 3.59 ERA) vs Spencer Schwellenbach (5-6, 3.69 ERA)

September 8th, 1:35 EST: Yariel Rodriguez (1-6, 4.61 ERA) vs Chris Sale (16-3, 2.46 ERA)

The Braves 3.58 team ERA ranks second only to the Seattle Mariners in the Majors this year. They’ve received terrific production from their rotation, even with the early season loss of Spencer Strider. The Blue Jays will deal with rotation mainstay Max Fried, rookie Spencer Schwellenbach, and Cy Young favourite Chris Sale this weekend.

Fried has had a bit of an up and down year, performing much better as as of late. He has gone four straight starts allowing three runs or fewer, including his recent outing against Philadelphia where he fired seven innings of three-run ball. The former Padres first round pick will likely continue to pitch well down the stretch for the club.

Schwellenbach has had an excellent debut season in Atlanta. He has been dominant at times on the mound, striking out 104 in 92.2 innings on the season. He has also done a great job at limiting free passes, walking just 19 to give him a sparkling 1.07 WHIP on the season. Last time out, he went 5.2 innings against the Phillies, allowing two earned runs and settling for the loss.

Sale is the current favourite for the NL Cy Young award, putting together an incredible season at age 35. The former White Sox and Red Sox lefty has a 16-3 record to go along with a 2.46 ERA and 1.01 WHIP on the year. His strikeout stuff has also returned in a big way, punching out 206 in 160.2 innings.

The Braves bullpen ranks third in the Major Leagues this year with a 3.27 team ERA.

Closer Raisel Iglesias has been otherworldly in 2024, maintaining a 1.24 ERA and a microscopic 0.60 WHIP through 55 appearances. He has nailed down 30 of 33 saves on the season. Opponents are hitting a measly .129 off of him this season.

The rest of the Braves bullpen runs deep, as Joe Jimenez (2.64 ERA), Dylan Lee (1.86), A.J. Minter (2.62), Aaron Bummer (3.56), and Pierce Johnson (3.44) have all been brilliant in their roles this season.

This bullpen certainly has the look of a team that will be tough to beat if they can make it to October.

The Braves offence ranks 13th in the Major Leagues in team OPS (.719). The early season injury to Ronald Acuna Jr. has loomed large for the club, with lineup regulars like Austin Riley, Ozzie Albies, Michael Harris, and Sean Murphy also missing significant time this season.

Atlanta has been paced by Marcell Ozuna this year, as the Dominican DH has smashed 37 home runs and 98 RBI this year to go along with a .949 OPS. He seems poised to surpass his career-high 40 home runs that he set last season. The big righthanded bat has played in every one of the Braves games this year.

Matt Olson has also appeared in every game for the club, albeit with lesser production. The former Oakland A’s first basemen has a .757 OPS with 25 home runs and 78 RBI, a far cry from the 54 and 139 (franchise record) marks he hit last season. He has shown signs of life lately, with four homers and an OPS over 1.000 over the last two weeks.

The club has relied on some castoffs from other teams to fill in for injured starters, namely Whit Merrifield, Ramon Laureano, and Gio Urshela. Laureano has been the most impressive of the bunch, maintaining an .840 OPS through 48 games.

Atlanta is fighting for their playoff lives, needing every win they can get to stay ahead of the Mets for the third and final playoff spot. The Blue Jays will look to play spoiler as they build momentum towards 2025.