Atlanta Braves vs Washington Nationals Pick and Odds (Feb 27)

• The Atlanta Braves (3-2 this spring) visit West Palm Beach to play the Washington Nationals (3-1)
• Atlanta was a 2024 Wild Card team but lost to the Padres in the playoffs
• Washington is still rebuilding but has accrued significant young talent

The Braves have been one of the best teams in baseball in recent years, having won the World Series in 2021. They took a dramatic step back to 89 wins in 2024 from their 104-win campaign in 2023. They still made the playoffs, but the Padres bounced them in two straight games.

The Nationals have been rebuilding for five years and are on the verge of taking the next step. They have lost 91 games in the past two seasons.

Atlanta is a Team in Transition

Several Braves stalwarts departed in the offseason. Travis d’Arnaud, Max Fried, and Charlie Morton are all gone. Their primary offseason acquisition was outfielder Jurickson Profar. To rebound from their relatively subpar 2024 season, they will need pitchers like Elder to pitch as he did in 2023 when he was an All-Star instead of 2024 when he was 2-5 with a 6.52 ERA in 10 starts.

The Braves beat the Pirates 9-4 in their previous game. Both Marcell Ozuna and Matt Olson have started the spring hot. It is a make-or-break spring training for disappointing Jared Kelenic. If he doesn’t perform this spring, he is unlikely to get everyday playing time in the regular season.

Washington’s Young Players Need to Improve

Nationals ownership stated that the team is not yet ready to start spending big money to import established players. This offseason, they were judicious in their spending with Josh Bell the lone “big” name they imported. They also signed veteran infielders Amed Rosario and Paul DeJong.

Their young roster has immense talent led by James Wood, CJ Abrams, Kelbert Ruiz, and Darren Baker.

Irvin, the starter against Atlanta, had a solid 2024 despite leading the NL in losses with 14. He posted a 1.9 bWAR and surrendered 173 hits in 189.2 innings. He showed good control, allowing only 52 walks.

Braves vs Nationals Pick: Washington Will Knock Around Elder

The Nationals’ young bats are trying to impress this spring and Irvin is an underrated starter. Elder threw two solid innings in his first spring training appearance, but he is still a question mark after his atrocious 2024. Since the Nats are in their spring home, expect them to overcome the Braves and win the game.