The Cleveland Guardians and Atlanta Braves square off as the only two teams in MLB who haven't lost a series.
After a successful home stand to open up the 2026 season, the Cleveland Guardians are back on the road. Their first stop will be in Georgia for a three-game series against the Atlanta Braves, who are currently 8-5 to open up the year.
Here are the pitching probables and storylines to follow heading into the series.
Guardians vs. Braves Pitching Probables
Heading into the series, here are the probable starting pitchers for the Guardians and Braves heading into the three-game set:
- Friday: Slade Cecconi (5.23) vs. Bryce Elder (0.00)
- Saturday: Parker Messick (0.82) vs. Martin Perez (3.86)
- Sunday: Tanner Bibee (3.29) vs. Chris Sale (3.94)
Sep 20, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Slade Cecconi (44) delivers a pitch against the Minnesota Twins during the first inning of game one of a double header at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn ImagesGuardians vs. Braves Storylines
Someone Must Lose A Series
Heading into this interleague matchup, only two teams in baseball have yet to lose a series in the new MLB season. Yes, those teams are the Guardians and the Braves.
Of course, by the time the finale rolls around, that streak will remain intact for one team and will be broken for the other.
Will Cleveland’s Rotation Continue Its Dominance?
The Guardians’ rotation has been downright dominant to begin the season, and brings MLB’s second-best start ERA of 2.67 heading into the series. However, the pitching staff is in for a big test against the Braves.
Atlanta has a nice mix of proven veteran talent, such as Ronald Acuna Jr., Matt Olson, and Austin Riley, alongside young emerging stars like Drake Baldwin.
Keeping this lineup at bay won’t be easy for the Guardians, but we’ve seen them do it before against the Los Angeles Dodgers, so it’s possible.
Will Jose Ramirez’s Bat Heat Up?
Jose Ramirez is off to an uncharacteristically slow start to the new season. Through the 15 games of the year, Cleveland’s superstar owns a .541 OPS and has more strikeouts (seven) than walks (six).
At some point, J-Ram’s bat is going to heat up, and that could come against the Braves.
Ramirez logged two hits in Cleveland’s series finale against the Kansas City Royals. Plus, the last time the Guardians were in Atlanta, the switch-hitter logged three hits.
Maybe the Atlanta heat will help warm up Ramirez’s bat.
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