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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.