NORTH PORT, Fla. -- Here are a few things I’m thinking about with Spring Training nearing its end.

1) Who should be the Opening Day starter? 

I think the Braves should show their appreciation for Max Fried by giving him one more Opening Day start before he possibly leaves as a free agent next winter. You can pencil Spencer Strider in to draw this honor for most of the next decade.

But this week’s pitching plans indicate Strider might be prepping for his first Opening Day start. Strider started Sunday’s split-squad game in Sarasota. Fried will start against the Rays today. This puts Strider in line to start on Opening Day with an extra day of rest. Fried would be in line to start Opening Day on regular rest.

Strider isn’t going to start the season’s second game with three extra days of rest. So, I think we are a little more than a week away from seeing Strider begin what could be a very long streak of consecutive Opening Day starts for the Braves.

Does it really matter who gets the Opening Day start, especially when you have a pair of NL Cy Young Award candidates in Strider and Fried? Not really. It’s not like a No. 1 is going to keep matching up against other No. 1s after some rainouts or scheduled off-days.

2) Speaking of Cy Young Award candidates

You might remember back in December I predicted Fried will win the NL Cy Young Award. While I still think Fried will have a great year, I can’t stick with that prediction after watching Strider over the past week.

Strider spent the past two years establishing himself as one of baseball’s most dominant starters. The addition of a curveball could make him baseball’s best pitcher. He flirted with a 300-strikeout season last year. He’ll likely secure one this year. 

3) Don’t fret too much about the last roster spots

Making the Braves’ Opening Day roster was cool for Jared Shuster last year. Tyler Thornberg also enjoyed the honor in 2022. Dylan Dodd even enjoyed creating one of the top storylines coming out of Braves camp last year. 

Forrest Wall or Luke Williams could be experiencing a similar thrill when the Braves make their final roster decisions within the next week. When arguing which player deserves the final spot, remember the Braves aren’t necessarily taking their best 26 players north.

The Braves need to give their regulars more rest during the early part of this season. But with a 26-man roster and the universal designated hitter in place, that 26th man still might not see much playing time. If you ask Charlie Culberson, he might tell you the player won’t get any playing time.

So, if Williams gets the nod, you can say it’s because he’s the more versatile player. But it’s also because Wall has shown enough over this past year to believe he might be more than just a great pinch-running option. Consequently, it makes sense for him to get everyday at-bats at Triple-A Gwinnett and be prepared if needed to fill a regular outfield role in Atlanta’s outfield. 

Here’s my latest Opening Day roster projection.

Bringing Adam Duvall back with a one-year, $3 million deal made perfect sense. Braves manager Brian Snitker has said the outfielder is one of his favorite players of all time. He is a perfect fit in the clubhouse and a much-needed addition. 

When the Braves acquired Jarred Kelenic from the Mariners in December, it was obvious he would benefit from a chance to strengthen his confidence. Initially telling him he’s going to be the everyday left fielder but then telling him he’s going to platoon with Duvall a few weeks later might not have strengthened his psyche. 

But by adding Duvall, the Braves might have actually taken some pressure off Kelenic. The young outfielder is adjusting to a new team, new environment and new swing adjustments. Knowing he doesn’t have to carry the entire left field load while making these adjustments could ultimately put him in position to live up to the potential the Braves and many others have long seen. 

It was good to see how much the prospects enjoyed the first Spring Breakout. This was a series of games designed to give fans a chance to see many of their favorite team’s future stars play against top prospects from another organization. 

“It was so fun,” Braves No. 5 prospect Owen Murphy said. “To be out there in front of fans who are excited about the prospects in this game, it’s unlike any other. It was great.”

When a group of top prospects gather, it’s fun trying to identify the best tools. No. 22 prospect Isaiah Drake’s speed seemed to clearly be the best tool possessed by any of the Braves prospects who participated in Saturday’s Spring Breakout game against the Red Sox.  

We got a glimpse of the young speedster when he competed against big leaguers in the intrasquad games played at Truist Park ahead of last year’s National League Division Series. He enjoyed this experience just a few months after graduating from North Atlanta High School. So, maybe the exchange with Snitker shouldn’t have been too surprising.

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