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What 2026 Meant for the Future of the Braves & Didier Fuentes
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- What 2026 Meant for the Future of the Braves & Didier Fuentes
The future is bright for Didier Fuentes | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The 2026 season didn't go as expected for Atlanta Braves right-hander Didier Fuentes. But it ended up being better for him than he ever could have expected.
He's not the starting pitcher that many have pictured him to be yet, but he's an established big leaguer. Fuentes made 58 appearances for the Braves and was one of their most impactful relievers.
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During those 58 appearances, he pitched to a 2.45 ERA, a 1.10 WHIP and 92 strikeouts across 73 1/3 innings. The 21-year-old righty got a taste of being a postseason hero , even if championship aspirations fell short.
Now, he can turn the page to what's next for his career.It's going to be in Atlanta. Recent reports made it clear that the Braves were determined to keep him in their future.
There is no more questioning whether he'll go back to the minors. That chapter is over.
The Braves brought him up in late April, and he stuck around. Expect him to be around full-time going forward. What is up for debate is his role.
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While he was an impact reliever for the team this season, the future could still see him become a keystone member of the starting rotation. That's his primary trade.
Being a reliever was the middle ground of getting those reps against major league bats and not having to take on the full task of being a starter yet.
He was ready for something beyond the minor leagues, but he wasn't ready to be a starter. Instead, the Braves gave him the chance to do things he will likely do as a starter, but in different doses.
Fuentes appeared in every inning of a game at some point during 2026 except the fourth inning. He pitched as late as the 11th inning, where he would have to, by default, pitch around runners in scoring position.
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He faced 10 batters, including in the postseason, five times. He got a second look at at least one batter a handful of times. Each time on the mound, he got that much closer to being ready to be a starting pitcher.
Manager Walt Weiss mentioned a few times during the season that having a young starting pitcher begin his big league tenure as a reliever was the norm. It was a way to ease them in.
A notable example of someone who took that step toward being a starter is Chris Sale. The future Hall of Famer pitched in 79 major league games before he took the mound in the first inning of one.
Before his first major league start in 2012, his first of 10 All-Star seasons, he had never pitched earlier in a game than the sixth inning. Fuentes has already done that. He may not have been ready, but he's been battle-tested and ultimately became a major leaguer.
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It's important to remember that this isn't some unique thing. There is a reason why some pitchers need that step in between. It helps them become their best selves.
So, what will all of this mean for his future? Come next season, he could be ready to take on the role he's been training for his whole life.
That doesn't mean it'll stick right away, and that's OK. Fuentes will likely get his chances in spring training. Depending on the status of the rotation at the time, maybe he'll get to compete for a rotation spot. Perhaps he'll have to be ready and waiting for the inevitable moment that a spot opens up.
This is a Braves rotation with a lot of question marks. Beyond health, some pending free agents will also determine how the rotation looks for next season and beyond. They're as close as they've ever been to having serious homegrown options for the first time in a long time.
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Fuentes is the top option to turn to from that pool.
At 21 years old, there is still a lot of time for him to get ready. This is a conversation beyond raw talent. He has three pitches that he's spent a lot of time refining - fastball, slider and splitter - and they were all very effective.
It's all about taking what he's learned in independent situations and combining it all for a start. The time is coming when he proves he can do it.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/braves/onsi as What 2026 Meant for the Future of the Braves & Didier Fuentes .
