With a 15-game scoreless streak, Braves closer Raisel Iglesias has been dominant since his arrival
Acquired at last year's trade deadline, Atlanta Braves closer Raisel Iglesias has been nearly unhittable since his first appearance with the club.
Brought in last year to be one of the setup pitchers for Kenley Jansen, Iglesias has taken over the closer role in 2023 with Jansen moving on to the Boston Red Sox as a free agent and the Braves have not skipped a beat.
Since July 20 Iglesias has arguably been the best relief pitcher in baseball. In 15 innings over that period he is 10-for-10 in save opportunities while allowing zero runs and striking out 22 batters.
The underrated Iglesias also possesses one of the best pitches in the MLB this season, that being his devastating change-up. With a 44 percent K-rate and a 44 percent whiff rate on the pitch, he is able to keep batters off balance, with the pitch mimicking his fastball before dropping to miss opposing hitters bats.
In 69 innings pitched as a member of the Braves, Iglesias is 3-4 with a 1.83 ERA, notching 27 saves and 86 strikeouts in that space.
Iglesias has been one of the most reliable relief pitchers in baseball since he transitioned to that role in 2016, after being a member of the Cincinnati Reds starting rotation his rookie year.
In his nine-year career, the right-hander has appeared in 451 games while posting a 30-47 record with a 2.98 ERA. With 183 saves in 210 opportunities, he has also been one of the most efficient relief pitchers converting his chances at an 87 percent clip.
His 183 saves rank him 65th on MLB's all-time leaderboard and he should continue to climb as long as he can stay healthy and continue to pitch at a high level.
One of the more beloved players in all of the clubhouses he has been a part of, just keep your sunflower seeds away from him.
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