NORTH PORT, Fla. — The Braves leader in starts, innings pitched and wins in 2025? Bryce Elder.
Elder was a constant in the Braves rotation a season ago, bucking the trend of his fellow starters who were slowed, or altogether lost, because of injury. Elder didn’t put together a relatively impressive season (he allowed 0.59 earned runs per inning and hitters batted .271 against him) yet he continued to trot out to the mound to make a team-high 28 starts.
“I like the makeup. He’s been through a lot already at a young age,” Braves manager Walt Weiss said Wednesday before Elder took the mound for his spring training debut against the Pirates at CoolToday Park. “His skin has gotten pretty thick, I’m sure, up and down and all that stuff that he’s had to deal with. His demeanor never changes. Been very durable. And there’s a lot of value in that, as we all know, this day and age.”
On Wednesday, Elder gave up a leadoff single to Oneil Cruz and then a two-out RBI single to Ryan O’Hearn in the first. He also allowed Cruz to steal second to get into scoring position for O’Hearn, who was able to scamper to second on an Elder wild pitch.
Elder had a much better second inning, throwing only nine pitches in a 1-2-3 frame that ended with a strikeout of Rafael Flores Jr. on a sinker down in the zone.
Sixteen of Elder’s 31 pitches were strikes, and 14 of his pitches were sinkers. He managed only two first-pitch strikes.
“Little quick to throw it sometimes, but otherwise pleased with it,” Elder said of his day of work. “Today (the sinker) got me out of a bind there, but usually the feel for that is what takes a while to come, so hopefully that stays there and then kinda get the change-up and slider a little cleaned up some. I was pleased it, especially the sinker.”
Elder went 8-5 with a 5.30 ERA and 1.39 WHIP in 2025, logging 156⅓ innings. His strikeout total of 131 was second only to Chris Sale.
The 26-year-old from Texas has yet to return to his 2023 form when he was named an All-Star, had a 3.81 ERA over 31 starts and went 12-4. There have been stretchers of success for Elder, as in late August and early September went he went at least six innings in four consecutive starts and allowed only four earned runs across those outings.
Of course, there are other times where the results are cringeworthy. Elder had seven starts in 2025 where he allowed at least five earned runs.
“I’m sure a lot of guys would say this, but I think that’s the one thing that’s kept me from being (good), putting four or five or six months together. I’ll just fall apart for two or three starts. I think, obviously, that’s something I’ve thought about and tried to work on and try new things and how to keep things consistent. Really I think it boils down to it’s part of baseball. And, too, I think, trying to move better consistently start to start rather than feel good for two or three and then you’re bad for four or five. Keep that four or five to one or two starts and then get back on track.”
Elder also has made 38 starts at Triple-A Gwinnett since 2021 — because of that fact the Braves can’t send Elder to the minors without risking him being claimed off waivers by another club.
Thus, it’s very likely that if Elder has a competitive spring training, and above all else remains healthy, he’ll start the season as the Braves’ No. 5 starter. Elder seems confident that plan will come to fruition, and remains confident he can once again pitch at a consistently elite level.
“It’s just a matter of being who I am,” he said. “I think at times, though, because of that (All-Star season) I try to chase that and it’s just, that’s three years ago. Different time, different body, three years later. I know that I can do it, I just gotta go make it happen.”
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