Atlanta Braves Bullpen Continues Dominant Season

The Atlanta Braves offense has run hot and cold all season, but that's not the case for the bullpen.

Atlanta Braves relief pitcher Raisel Iglesias got his 23rd save of the season in a 4-2 win over the Marlins on Thursday. / Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

The Atlanta Braves took the first game of their series with the Miami Marlins 4-2 to extend their winning streak to three games. 

The offense gave Charlie Morton support and the bullpen was strong as usual. With how this season is going, it’s about time we showed some love to the bullpen, one of the most consistent parts of this team. 

According to Braves beat writer for The Athletic David O’Brien, Braves’ relievers lead the National League with a 2.97 ERA. Their strong performance has led to the team having a league-best 46-2 record, including Thursday night’s win, when leading after the seventh inning. 

The only MLB team ahead of the Braves in both stats is the Cleveland Guardians. Their bullpen has a 2.47 and a 54-1 record.

Once you see these numbers, it makes you wonder what their record would be if they had performed better offensively this year. In the reverse, this also means if they trail after this point, they are 13-47. While it’s great the bullpen is slamming the door when they have a lead, it’s showing that the bullpen is giving them a chance to stay in the game and they don’t capitalize. 

Maybe the recent offensive boost could allow the Braves to chip away at this losing record. Come postseason time, some timely hitting plus a strong bullpen would be what puts them over the top in a big-game moment that sets them up to win a series. 

Key Standouts

Raisel Iglesias dominated in July for the Braves. In 10 innings pitched, he allowed no earned runs, had a 0.40 WHIP and held batters to a .097 opponents average. His performance earned him the team’s Strong Arm Pitcher of the Month. 

Your @attorneyjohnfoy Strong Arm Pitcher of the Month: Raisel Iglesias! pic.twitter.com/b7l7C8qNwz

— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) August 1, 2024

AJ Minter has been strong all season for the Braves with a 2.76 ERA with a 0.92 WHIP in 34 appearances. Since he returned from the Injured List on July 3, he has a 2.25 ERA with both of his two earned runs in that span coming from a single outing - seven of eight appearances have been scoreless. He had a 0.75 WHIP in that stretch as well. 

Joe Jimenez has been consistent all season with a 2.30 ERA. He’s an example of the Braves working the magic with relievers. He had a 5.24 ERA with the Detroit Tigers and turned it around in Atlanta. 

Lastly, while he has struggled recently, Jesse Chavez deserved a shoutout for his performance most of the season. At one point, on June 21, his ERA was as low as 1.17. Even after a tough month, his ERA is still a respectable 2.33. The bullpen’s stats as a whole don’t look as good as they do without him. 

For years, the Achilles heel of the Atlanta Braves was its pen. That's not the case any longer as it's been the most consistent, most dominant component of the 2024 squad.