The Braves are still waiting on the October answer, but the group on the mound is making it awfully hard to worry right now.
Martín Pérez did his part Saturday afternoon at Truist Park, giving Atlanta 5 2/3 strong innings in a 2-1 win over the Rockies and helping push the Braves to their sixth straight victory. The left-hander kept the latest comeback chapter rolling in a season that has already turned into one of the steadier stories in Atlanta’s rotation.
The payoff came late. With two outs in the eighth, Matt Olson started the rally with a single.
Mauricio Dubon followed with another hit and moved Olson to third. Then Michael Harris delivered the big swing, lining a two-out, two-run double that sent the Braves ahead for good.
Dubon ignored Tommy Watkins’ stop sign at third and came home easily when the throw went to second.
That one hit mattered for the standings, too. Atlanta stayed at least five games ahead of the Phillies in the National League East race, and the club’s recent run has been built on more than just an offense that’s starting to warm up.
Since Aug. 4, the day after the Trade Deadline, Braves starters rank fourth in the Majors and first among National League teams with a 2.94 ERA. That’s the kind of number that changes the feel of a team heading into the stretch run.
Chris Sale has continued to build a strong Cy Young Award case, but Pérez has quietly been right there as one of the most dependable arms on the staff. Through 26 appearances, including 22 starts, he owns a 3.05 ERA, and against Colorado he allowed just one run.
That kind of stability is a big reason the Braves can look at the rotation and feel better about where it stands now than they did when the Trade Deadline passed with Tyler Mahle as the only starter added. There was clearly hope that Atlanta would land a frontline arm to deepen the postseason group and ease the burden on the bullpen over the final two months.
That criticism could come back if the Braves end up needing someone besides Sale to line up against a top October starter. But right now, the rotation has earned some trust.
Mahle has been better than expected in his first four starts with Atlanta, with the team winning two of those outings and the right-hander working six or more innings in three of them. He has a 1.52 ERA in those four starts, though his 5.27 Expected ERA hints that some correction could be coming.
Sale and Elder have both averaged at least six innings per start this month, which has helped Walt Weiss keep a firmer grip on the bullpen. And if Raisel Iglesias, Dylan Lee, Didier Fuentes and possibly Robert Suarez are all in good shape by October, the Braves’ need for a classic Game 2 type can shrink fast.
In Other News...
Braves Prospects Are Starting To Force A Bigger Conversation
The Braves farm system has spent the week giving the organization plenty to think about, with Rome right-hander Daniel Brooks turning in another dominant outing and outfield speedster Eric Hartman pushing past the 50-steal mark. Those are the kinds of developments that matter in a system built on finding the next wave of impact talent, especially when there are also steady contributions coming from names like Brett Wisely and Luis Vargas across several different games.
Brooks work on the mound and Hartmans running game are two very different ways of standing out, but both have helped put a brighter spotlight on a minor league pipeline that has been more than just background noise lately. Add in the broader wave of offensive and pitching contributions across the affiliates, and the Braves are left with a familiar but welcome problem: too many prospects are making it harder to ignore what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Rotation Just Got A Much Darker Spencer Schwellenbach Question
Spencer Schwellenbachs season-long elbow saga has taken another turn, and this one points toward a more serious reset than the Braves had wanted. After dealing with a fracture in June 2025, he is now expected to undergo surgery on his right elbow, with the operation set to insert a screw to help stabilize the joint.
For Atlanta, the bigger concern is not just the procedure itself but what comes after it. The club had hoped to avoid this step, and neither the surgery date nor a recovery timetable has been announced, leaving his long-term outlook murky. There is now real uncertainty about whether Schwellenbach will be able to get back on the mound in 2027. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Prospect Is Forcing His Way Into The Center Field Picture
Patrick Clohisy has spent the past two seasons making himself harder to ignore. The 24-year-old climbed the Braves minor league ladder by pairing a real uptick at the plate with the kind of speed that changes games, first leading the system in stolen bases and doubles before earning a July promotion to Triple-A Gwinnett. Once he got there, he kept producing, hitting for a high average while continuing to show the elite sprint speed that made him stand out in the lower levels.
For Atlanta, the interesting part is where that profile fits. Clohisys range has helped him cover ground in the outfield, and he is projected to spend most of his time in center field, a spot where speed and instincts can matter as much as raw power. He is not just a burner anymore, either, which is why his case keeps getting stronger as he moves closer to the majors and forces the organization to think more seriously about the center field picture. [Read more 🡒]