Three Takeaways at Atlanta Braves 30-Win Mark

With the win over the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday night, the Atlanta Braves became the first team to reach 30 wins on the year. To take it a step further, they also reached the mark 30 days sooner than the year before.

They reached 30 wins on June 13 last season. That could say it all about the turnaround they've had so far this year. However, we can go deeper than that.

Here's three takeaways while the Braves are at the 30-win mark on the season.

It's Still Mind-Boggling Mauricio Dubón was Acquired for JUST Nick Allen

A one-for-one swap late at night in November. It wasn't even the highlight of the night, since they had re-signed Raisel Iglesias.

The Braves made an early offseason move by trading shortstop Nick Allen for the Swiss Army Knife on defense, Mauricio Dubón. There was a hunch at the time that he would be an improvement, but it was by default.

It wasn't that Dubón was viewed as an unreal hitter, but the production from Allen had been that subpar. Sure enough, the Braves got themselves the steal of the year.

While he cooled off for a time, Dubón has been one of the most clutch hitters on the Braves this season. He belted a two-run home run in Wednesday night's win over the Cubs to give them a needed cushion.

Sure, he played left field in that game specifically, but his three home runs are already tied for the most by Braves shortstops in 2025, all of which belonged to Ha-Seong Kim. Since his home run will count as part of the left-fielder splits, it's worth noting that the lone home run would have ranked him third among Braves left fielders last season.

He's on pace to drive in 98 runs so far. They made the move to acquire a Gold Glove winner with a slightly better bat, and it proved to be more than they ever could have hoped for.

Pitching Flexibility Has Meant Everything

Some options will always be starters, such as Chris Sale or Spencer Strider. However, some options in the rotation have been able to be utilized in multiple roles to the team's advantage.

Martín Pérez is the prime example, showing it again on Wednesday. He gave the Braves a scoreless inning to help the bullpen cover for JR Ritchie, only making it through 4 1/3. He may still be able to make a start later in the weekend since it was just an inning.

Pitchers throw in between starts all the time. This one just had real stakes to it. Not that this was their plan, Walt Weiss admitted it wasn't, but using starters for an inning in between starts isn't the worst idea. It's a risk, but in theory can stay sharp and still be rested enough to start during their next turn through the rotation.

Meanwhile, Reynaldo López and Didier Fuentes have been willing to take on roles as relievers. It wasn't for flexibility reasons - they struggled as starters - but having them step into the role has been helpful to their team.

It helps them maximize the pitching staff while injuries build up. Whether this way of doing things will hold up throughout a full season is to be determined. For now, it's been everything.

Verdict is Still Out on Austin Riley, But His Upward Trend is Undeniable

When he's on, he's on. A dialed-in Austin Riley, who's getting strong swings on the ball, is hitting it hard to right-center field and over the fence without fail. Since the calendar turned to May, he's batting .293 with a .855 OPS with three home runs and eight RBIs.

For the last week and a half, he's been able to sustain strong production. It's the longest he's been able to sustain anything this year. That's huge for him, and it shows he's trending in the right direction.

The reason the verdict is still out right now is that the lows have been nightmarish. In the last 11 games of April, he had a .296 OPS. The overall scope of his season has been feast or famine. He had a surge in early April, and everyone got excited in time for him to take a step back.

That doesn't mean it'll happen again, but it's something he needs to keep putting further behind him. With the way he's been hitting lately, he can certainly do that.

Riley is going to slump again at some point. It's baseball. It's a long season. He doesn't have to be Joe DiMaggio and get a hit in 56 straight games to prove he's back on track. But even a slump where he is so-so, one where he doesn't totally bottom out, say a .500 OPS for 10 games, would be a positive sign.

It would mean the ceiling stays high, but the floor will have risen.

Sign up for our free newsletter for the latest Atlanta Braves news