Braves Reliever Ties Franchise Mark Last Night Against Rangers

The Atlanta Braves have had a remarkably consistent reliever in their pen for a while

Atlanta Braves relief pitcher A.J. Minter picked up his 107th career hold last night, tying a Atlanta-era franchise record / John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

The Atlanta Braves saw some momentous performances over the last calendar year, including Ronald Acuña Jr's 40/70 season and Matt Olson setting a new single season homer record with 54 last season.

And just last night, Ronald Acuña's stolen base, his 189th, tied Rafael Furcal for the most stolen bases in Atlanta-era history.

But there was another bit of history made last night, and it belongs to reliever A.J. Minter.

Minter, who pitched a scoreless eighth inning to get a hold, tied Mike Remlinger for the most holds in Atlanta-era franchise history with his 107th.

For the 30-year-old Minter, who will reach free agency after this season, his consistency should make him one of the most appealing free agents in the upcoming class. Since becoming a full-time major leaguer in 2018, Minter's 102 holds is the second-most in baseball over that period, behind only New York Mets reliever Adam Ottavino. They're also the most by any left-handed reliever over that span.

And with one more hold, Minter's mark could potentially become the franchise record, as holds were not an official stat until 1986 and so records are spotty for earlier seasons. The team's official records page doesn't even track records for holds among its pitching statistics, but it's believed that the organizational record belongs to Remlinger, who played for Atlanta from 1999 through 2002. Remlinger was recognized as an All-Star in 2002, a year in which he finished with a 1.99 ERA and 7-3 record, picking up 30 holds in his 68 innings.

Minter currently holds a 3-1 record and 1.80 ERA, with twelve strikeouts and two holds in his 10.0 innings pitched. He's logged 35 saves in his career with Atlanta, picking up fifteen in 2018 and adding ten more last season when closer Raisel Iglesias started the season on the injured list.