One of the most difficult offseason decisions that the Atlanta Braves made heading into the 2026 season was how to set up the back end of the bullpen.
Closer Raisel Iglesias was coming off a down season, taking six losses and being a liability in the first half of the season. Still, the Braves opted to bet on the veteran closer, bringing him back on a one-year, $16 million pact that is aging well for the Braves front office.
Tuesday's 7-2 win over the Los Angeles Angels was simply the latest example of this, with Aaron Bummer asked to work the 8th inning and departing for Iglesias with only one out and runners on second and third.
Iglesias stepped in and punched out each of the next two hitters before returning for a scoreless ninth inning. This gave Iglesias 5 2/3 scoreless innings worked and five strikeouts on the season, helping Atlanta's bullpen get off to a dominant start.
Iglesias is clearly the best version of himself, and giving Atlanta a complete bullpen with Robert Suarez and Dylan Lee serving as elite setup options. For the Braves, this is vital as the franchise is starting the season missing a trio of starting pitchers, putting even more focus on the early performance of the bullpen.
Braves Made Perfect Decision Betting on Veteran Closer Raisel Iglesias
For Iglesias, the performance unquestionably has come with a healthy level of motivation after the Braves opted to sign Suarez during the offseason. While the right-hander is currently the primary setup option, Suarez amassed 76 saves with the San Diego Padres, meaning his presence may have lit a fire beneath Iglesias.
Iglesias understood that Suarez is ready to step into a closing role if any of last season's struggles resurface.
The Braves didn't make the move with hopes that Igesias would fail, but in hopes that things would work out exactly as they have. While it remains extremely early in the 2026 season, it appears that the Braves' bullpen has gone from a potential concern to one of their biggest strengths.
Betting on the closer to return to form and for Suarez to be the perfect insurance is aging in Atlanta's favor. Not only has Iglesias been playing well, but so has Suarez, pitching six scoreless innings while striking out seven batters and holding them to a career-best .418 OPS.
When Iglesias last started a season at this level, he finished 2024 with 34 saves and a 1.95 ERA, helping push the Braves to the postseason. These are the type of numbers that fans can expect yet again, as it is already clear that bringing back the aging pitcher was the perfect decision from Atlanta's front office.