ATLANTA, GEORGIA - APRIL 12: Chris Sale #51 of the Atlanta Braves pitches during the second inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Truist Park on April 12, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)

The Atlanta Braves are off to an incredible start to the 2026 season. With the best record in MLB, a large reason for the team’s success has been the starting pitching. Led by ace Chris Sale, the Braves’ pitching staff is firing on all cylinders right now.

Recently, top prospect JR Ritchie got called up to the big leagues and has already shown early signs of being a great pitcher. Ritchie’s next start, which has been confirmed by manager Walt Weiss, will come against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park. Ritchie is from Washington state, so it will be a nice homecoming for the youngster.

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What Did Chris Sale Say About JR Ritchie?

GettyWASHINGTON, DC – APRIL 23: JR Ritchie #56 of the Atlanta Braves celebrates after the final out of the seventh inning of his major league debut against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on April 23, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)

Chris Sale was recently asked about JR Ritchie, and of couse, being the star pitcher that he is, Sale knew that JR Ritchie would shine when given the opportunity.

Per MLB.com’s Mark Bowman, Chris Sale shared very high praise of JR Ritchie:

“You can ask my wife, I’ve been talking about Ritchie since last summer,” Sale said. “Every time I showed up [while rehabbing] in Gwinnett last year, he was doing something to get better at baseball. That’s always going to put some chips in my bag.”

Ritchie also added what it means to him to be able to pitch in Washington:

“That’s pretty unbelievable,” Ritchie said. “I’d be lying if I said I had not thought about it. It’s always one start at a time. I’m always focused on dealing with the team at hand. But yeah, it’s definitely been in the back of my mind. Seattle has a very special place in my heart. It always will, just being from there. So I’m really looking forward to it.”

In 12.1 innings pitched with the Braves this season, Ritchie has given up just four earned runs, and has 11 strikeouts. His first start against the Washington Nationals was a little better than his last against the Tigers.

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The Atlanta Braves Right Now

GettyPHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – APRIL 18: Chris Sale #51 of the Atlanta Braves delivers a pitch against the Philadelphia Phillies during the first inning at Citizens Bank Park on April 18, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Heather Barry/Getty Images)

The Atlanta Braves are currently 22-10, and have not lost a series through the first month of the season.

They lead the NL East by a good margin, and open up a three-game weekend series with the Colorado Rockies on Friday.

After playing the Rockies, Atlanta will stay out west to face the Mariners and then the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Braves-Dodgers series will be a good one against the top two teams in the National League, and could be an NLCS preview.

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