​Braves September call-up offers ‘experience’ off bench before postseason originally appeared on The Sporting News.
Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.The Atlanta Braves are one of the top contenders for this year’s World Series title. They’ll need their top stars on both sides of the ball, like right fielder Ronald Acuna Jr. and starting pitcher Chris Sale, to help lead them to a championship. But Atlanta’s bench may play an important role down the stretch of the regular season and into the playoffs. The Athletic’s Andy McCullough believes that one of the Braves’ September call-ups could make an impact thanks to his Major League experience. “OK, we had to move the goalposts on this one. At 36, [Kyle] Farmer does not exactly represent a youth movement for the Braves,” McCullough wrote. “But the high-end talent in Atlanta’s farm system isn’t quite ready for the majors, especially given the plug-and-play nature of the starting lineup. Farmer offers experience off the bench.” Farmer has taken just 16 plate appearances with the Braves in 2026, collecting four hits and three RBIs. MORE: How Reds’ Sal Stewart has MLB history on his side for NL Rookie of the Year awardHe is a 10-year veteran who can play practically anywhere on the diamond. Farmer was a part-time catcher during his first few seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Cincinnati Reds. That option may be off the table now, but it’s valuable for the Braves to have someone as versatile defensively as Farmer. He may not offer the Braves much on offense, but he does have some pop in his bat, hitting 11 or more home runs three times in his career. More MLB news:Jose Berrios ‘extremely unlikely’ to opt out of $48 million deal with Blue JaysBo Bichette likely not to opt out of Mets $42 million contractYankees predicted to get Aaron Judge back soon, but with a catchPhillies’ Jesus Luzardo on track to be best road pitcher in MLB history since 1913