The Atlanta Braves survived what was an undeniably electric series against the Philadelphia Phillies, and will now attempt to take down the two-time defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers. When looking at potential concerns or issues that could prevent the upset, a new worry has appeared for Braves fans. It is a bullpen that appeared to be an area of clear strength, and struggled a bit in the Philadelphia series, leaving reason to wonder who exactly manager Walt Weiss can rely on.
Dylan Lee is clearly the most concerning, struggling at the end of the 2026 season and giving up the second game of the series, allowing two home runs. Lee simply isn't close to the dominating force he was for much of the season and is now an area of concern when the Braves are already attempting to cover for a rotation dealing with a myriad of injuries.
Concerns go a bit deeper than Lee alone, as Didier Fuentes is only 21 and gave up an earned run as well in the Game 2 collapse the Braves suffered. The good news here is Fuentes did recover and offered the Braves his typical domination in the final game of the series. This is where fans might be quick to counter that this was accomplished while the pressure was incredibly low, as the Braves had a commanding lead.
Braves Have Clear Cause for Concern Around Bullpen Performance Heading Into Dodgers Series
Robert Suarez is supposed to be an incredibly important piece of this Atlanta bullpen and setting up for Raisel Igelsias. However, the right-hander barely made it back in time for the start of the postseason after missing extended time due to injury. The wildcard series saw the veteran only throw 11 pitches, getting two outs while giving up a lone hit.
Suarez is yet to be battle tested in this postseason, and that is cause for clear concern when you have questions around all three of your set up options. The glass-half-full approach would point out that perhaps Fuentes has shaken any nerves, Lee will improve, and Suarez was given a clear chance to settle in. No matter your perspective, it is undeniable that the pen is a bit of a concern moving forward.
Los Angeles is a loaded lineup with no such thing as an easy out for the two-time defending champions. Atlanta is going to need a level of dominance that turns the clock back to the 2021 run, when the bullpen was a defining piece of the story.
For the Braves, it will be incredibly important to keep an eye on the first two games of the series and find out whether the Philadelphia series was the outlier for the Atlanta pen or a sign of things to come.
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