Atlanta Braves are a haven for veteran pitchers

The Atlanta Braves showed some of their relievers some love when they gave them a shoutout on the X. After all, their five relievers with an ERA under 3.00 are the most in the major leagues.

This list is a testament to how the Braves handle talent in Atlanta. While Minter is a local product, the others illustrate the Braves’ ability to revive careers.

Renaissance Men

Jesse Chavez and Joe Jimenez wrestled their entire careers before coming to Atlanta.

Chavez, in fact, seems to have had consistent success in Atlanta. He left, struggled elsewhere, was picked up by the Braves and then sold again. At 40, he pitches like you’d expect from an electric pitcher in his early 20s.

Jimenez posted a 5.24 ERA with the Detroit Tigers. In Atlanta, the 29-year-old had the best two years of his career with a combined 2.85 ERA.

Raisel Iglesias had a solid career before coming to Atlanta. But the first year he started to struggle — he had a 4.04 ERA entering 2022 — the Angels were happy to get rid of his contract. While one might be quick to say it was a bad year, sometimes that’s all it takes for a reliever’s career to be over.

Even then, neither the Reds nor the Angels got what the Braves got from Iglesias. In his first 28 games for the Braves in 2022, Iglesias had a 0.34 ERA. An immediate result.

While these guys were supposed to be at the end or even well past their prime, the Braves found a way to breathe new life into their careers.

But these are the guys the Braves have already found at the MLB level. Dylan Lee has been freed by the Miami Marlins in March 2021. Despite two scoreless outings in spring training, they had seen enough of the 26-year-old by then. The Braves signed him to a minor league contract, and Lee found himself pitching in the World Series that October — even make a historyalthough rather brief, begins.

Lee now has an ERA below 3.00 for the second time in his career. In 97 career games, he has a ERA of 2.72.

The turnaround isn’t just about the relievers. Ask Jarred Kelenic, who has excelled this season after looking like a washed-up prospect. He’s only 24, but the Mariners have decided it’s time to move on. Then there’s starter Chris Sale, whose best years seem long behind him. The 40-year-old has a 2.79 ERA, his best since 2018.

The Braves have a knack for starting or reviving careers. In a year that didn’t go as planned, that magic touch was a saving grace.