The Atlanta Braves have a lot to prove, and with a microscope on their starting rotation, many members of the rotation also have a lot to prove. Spencer Strider is fresh off an underwhelming season, Grant Holmes was injured for the back half of the 2025 season, and starters like Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep will have to regain trust once they return to the mound.
However, who is the Braves’ biggest ‘X Factor’ heading into the 2026 season? Bleacher Report believes it’s right-hander Reynaldo Lopez, who missed pretty much the entire 2025 season with shoulder surgery.
More MLB on Heavy: Braves News: Joey Wentz Carted Off Field in Spring Training Game But Injury Considered ‘Not Serious’
Braves’ Reynaldo Lopez Named Atlanta’s 2026 ‘X-Factor’
GettySAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 28: Reynaldo Lopez #40 of the Atlanta Braves throws a pitch against the San Diego Padres during the first inning at Petco Park on March 28, 2025 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images)
Now, of course, having the label of being an X-Factor is very subjective, as several names on the Braves roster could be the most important piece of the 2026 season. But Reynaldo Lopez seems like a fitting name, because he’s slated to be the team’s third or fourth starter, and if he’s unable to pitch X amount of innings for the Braves, Atlanta’s starting rotation depth takes another hit it can not afford to take.
BR’s Kerry Miller names Reynaldo Lopez as the Braves’ X-Factor in a recent post:
“Of all the things that went sideways for Atlanta in 2025, getting just one appearance out of López—after he logged 135.2 IP with a 1.99 ERA in 2024—was probably the most detrimental to their cause. And with AJ Smith-Shawver, Spencer Schwellenbach, and Hurston Waldrep all recovering from elbow surgeries and not expected to be available until at least June, the Braves are going to need López in a big way, at least through the first half.”
More MLB on Heavy: Mets Trade Pitch Offloads 17-Home Run Infielder for Red Sox’ $90 Million Outfielder
What Can the Braves Get Out of Reynaldo Lopez?
It seems like the original reports out of the Braves’ spring camp are positive regarding Reynaldo Lopez.
Having a major shoulder procedure, as Lopez did in 2025, is one of the scariest injuries for any pitcher to have, because the shoulder is often fragile and hard to get back to full strength.
However, he shouldn’t be under as much pressure as he was during the 2024 season. Lopez was named to the All-Star team for the first time in his 10-year MLB career in 2024, which was undoubtedly his best campaign as a pro.
Atlanta isn’t relying on him to post a sub-2.00 ERA over 130+ innings in 2026, because that’s pretty unlikely to happen, but if he can give the Braves 20 or so starts to the tune of a sub-4.00 ERA, that is production that Atlanta will be able to survive with.
More MLB on Heavy: Dodgers-Tigers Trade Pitch for Tarik Skubal Makes Perfect Sense After WBC Start
Braves’ $30 Million All-Star Starter Named ‘X-Factor’ for 2026