Atlanta Braves Raisel Iglesias Named NL Reliever of the Month

Atlanta Braves relief pitcher Raisel Iglesias has been on a historic run, and he was recognized for his dominance.

Atlanta Braves relief pitcher Raisel Iglesias is the NL Reliever of the Month / matt krohn-usa today sports

Atlanta Braves righty Raisel Iglesias has been named the National League’s reliever of the month for August. Josh Hader took home the honors in the American League. 

Iglesias didn’t allow a single earned run over 13 1/3 innings while striking out 14 and picking up six saves. 

Josh Hader: 13.1 IP, 17 K, 0.68 ERA, 8 saves
Raisel Iglesias: 13.1 IP, 14 K, 0.00 ERA, 6 saves

Your AL and NL Relievers of the Month for August! pic.twitter.com/1MZcLiWo3r

— MLB (@MLB) September 3, 2024

The impressiveness of his August performance goes deeper than just the 0.00 ERA. From Aug. 1 to Aug. 27, he didn’t even allow a baserunner, 38 consecutive batters to be exact. That’s the equivalent of 12 2/3 perfect innings.

This honor is a reflection of the insane run he has had for a good chunk of the season. It’s been one of the best months by a Braves pitcher in recent memory. In 56 innings pitched across 53 appearances, Iglesias has a 1.29 ERA. His WHIP is down to 0.607. 

But that’s the entire season. Since June 2, he has a 0.52 ERA with 12 total baserunners in 34 2/3 innings. Opposing hitters have a slash line of .071/.121./128. 

He’s only allowed two home runs all year, the most recent one coming on June 16. So far, his September is off to a similar start. In the 3-2 loss to the Phillies on Sunday, he pitched two scoreless innings allowing no hits and walking just one batters. 

So, what’s been the eye to this success? There are a few stats we can look at. 

He’s not afraid to attack the strike zone, throwing 68% of his pitches for strikes. He’s also pitched to a high amount of soft contact along with his 27% strikeout rate. Hitters only produce a line drive 20% of the time. 

It’s a recipe for a dominant season and puts him well on his way to potentially earning himself the National League’s Trevor Hoffman Reliever of the Year Award.