ESPN's Elle Duncan reveals biggest key to Braves' success in 2025

The Atlanta Braves have started their 2025 MLB season, and Elle Duncan is ready to see her hometown team do some big things. On3 caught up with the ESPN personality earlier this year and asked her what we can expect from the Braves in 2025.

“I really always trust that the Braves will make the right decisions to position themselves,” Duncan told On3. “We seemingly every year get a player that maybe doesn’t make all of the headlines but ends up being a really key central figure. But a big part of the Braves’ success always comes down to injuries, just like it does any other team. And so hopefully, if we can stay healthy, I think we can make a real run. But getting [Ronald Acuña Jr.] back is going to be great.”

Elle Duncan is right about the injuries as it’s something that prevented the Braves from making a deep run in the playoffs last year. It seemed like the entire roster had health issues in 2024, but the two key players who suffered major injuries were Acuña and Spencer Strider.

Acuña tore his ACL in late May and missed the entire year. Strider suffered damage to the UCL in his right elbow in April and was out for the entire 2024 season. Ronald Acuña Jr. and Spencer Strider did not return to the Braves on Opening Day and are not expected to return until late April or early May.

Can the Braves make a run at the World Series in 2025?

Despite the injuries in 2024, the Braves made the playoffs for the seventh consecutive season as a wild card. They lost to the San Diego Padres in the first round of the playoffs but are expected to make a World Series run this year. Along with the return of Acuña and Strider, the Braves are expecting big things from Austin Riley, Matt Olson, Ozzie Albies and Marcell Ozuna.

One big addition the Braves made during the offseason is the signing of Jurickson Profar. The veteran outfielder is coming off the best season of his career, recording a batting average of .280 with 24 home runs and 85 RBIs with a .839 OPS. Profar earned his first All-Star appearance and finished 14th in NL MVP voting.

In the last seven seasons, the Braves have been one of the best teams in baseball. During that span, Atlanta has won six consecutive NL East titles, appeared in the National League Championship Series twice and won the World Series in 2021.