There is nothing worse in baseball than having a leaky bullpen. Having a porous defense is beyond maddening. Not being able to hit for any contact and striking out all the time can be the bane of one's existence. Then again, you feel completely helpless watching a good team self-destruct in the final frames of the game because the bullpen cannot be trusted. I am worried about Raisel Iglesias again.
I do not know what it is, but I have not been able to trust the Atlanta Braves' closer since Craig Kimbrel was at the peak of his powers over a decade ago. Iglesias does not throw hard enough to really scare anyone coming in the top of the ninth inning. On the season, the 35-year-old right-hander is 2-2 with a 5.40 ERA in 15 appearances. He has just six saves on the season, all the while blowing at least two.
He may be striking out more than a batter a frame, but he is averaging one home run surrendered per save up to this point. His ERA+ of 78 is by far and away the worst mark of his 11-year MLB career out of Cuba. Although he is not walking a ton of batters, his ERA is nearly triple what it was a season ago. Atlanta has hit better at the plate of late, but the Braves need to trust their closer or go get a new one.
This team is not winning the World Series, but it may not reach the postseason because of its bullpen.
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Raisel Iglesias needs to pitch better to keep his role as the Braves' closer
It is kind of crazy to think that Iglesias only has saves in one-third of the Braves' wins up to this point of the season. To me, saves are an empty-calorie nonsense stat more so than ever. The role of closer is often overhyped in my estimation. However, I do recognize the importance it has when it comes to the general overall vibes of the fanbase. Whenever this relief pitcher toes the rubber, a win is coming.
As a former pitcher myself, there is nothing worse than having to watch someone else operate from the mound with the lights on and no one home. Not to say this is the case with Iglesias, but I do not trust him even one bit. I knew he was going to give up a big fly when I watched him do whatever he does live from Chase Field in Atlanta's thrilling extra-innings victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks.
I tend to forget that Iglesias is a peer of mine, and us 35-year-olds are getting more and more washed by the day. We may be getting smarter with old age, but Father Time takes a toll on us all physically. He makes a living trying to throw fastballs by people whose birth year starts with two. I am just trying to make sure I can put on both of my socks correctly in the morning after I hop out of the shower.
We can all hope that Iglesias can turn it around, but he cannot be the reason that this team fails.