After failing to score with runners on second and third without anyone out, the Atlanta Braves turned over a 1-0 deficit to Raisel Iglesias. If there is one thing the closer has proven to be a master at in the 2025 season, it is digging Atlanta's hole deeper when it comes to late-inning situations. Predictably, the closer gave up a late run that would prove paramount in a 2-1 Arizona Diamondbacks win. It is yet another low point for the veteran reliever who continues to be treated as if this were the 2024 season. It is time to wonder what exactly the Braves are watching and why the coaching staff remains so content to allow the reliever to trot out and throw games away.
After the veteran's latest appearance, his ERA has ballooned to 5.79, and the Braves are now 27-33 on the season. Putting the offensive failures aside, it is impossible to understand why Atlanta continues to give Iglesias these opportunities. It is difficult to get mad at the closer who has shown the Braves he cannot be trusted. Yes, the struggles and lack of performance rely completely on the shoulders of the experienced reliever. However, it is Brian Snitker and Atlanta's coaching staff that continues to willingly set their team up for failure.
Brian Snitker's Continual Trust in Raisel Iglesias Remains Confounding
Yes, the Atlanta manager has limited options, but a large number of them have been far more consistent than Iglesias. Dating back to May 8th, Iglesias has made ten appearances, seven of which have resulted in the veteran giving up at least one earned run. Only thirty percent of the veteran's recent games have resulted in a scoreless frame. Twice, this included notable defensive plays that saved base hits.
There is no longer a defense of Iglesias or a hope that the veteran is going to work his way out of a slump. It has been sustained for weeks of serving up pitches that aren't being missed. Consistent hard contact and baserunners are a continual theme anytime Snitker decides to put the veteran on the mound.
It is time to stop blaming the player who has shown exactly who he is in the 2025 season and point the finger at a coaching staff that continues to trust the veteran. No matter what the past results might be, this is a season when every game feels like the death nail in your hopes of contention. If there isn't a sense of desperate urgency now, you're never going to find it.
Snitker allowing the team to continue to trot out Iglesias and watch the closer blow game after game without making a change is alarming. It speaks to a coaching staff that is out of touch with its team and has no idea the right buttons to push. One thing is for sure: Iglesias shouldn't be one of those buttons when it comes to close games in the late innings. Perhaps this loss will be the illustration that finally drives an obvious concept into the heads of an Atlanta coaching staff that is costing the team meaningful games in what now appears to be a lost season.