The Atlanta Braves took care of one hole on November 19. Raisel Iglesias, the Braves’ closer over the last three seasons, re-signed with the team on a one-year deal. It was not the prettiest season for Iglesias. However, he turned it around come the summer to be one of baseball’s best stoppers by year’s end.
A Look at Iglesias
The 2025 campaign was an interesting one for Raisel Iglesias, who came just shy of his third straight 30+ save campaign for the Braves.
Atlanta’s closer for the last three seasons, Iglesias remained a high-end swing-and-miss pitcher, as he posted a Whiff% north of 30%. Additionally, Iglesias ranked well above the league average in Chase% (32.7%).
Iglesias’ performance, though, wasn’t as rock-solid compared to past years. The veteran reliever struggled to get outs in April and May, as he posted ERA figures north of 6.00 in both of those months.
During April, Iglesias gave up 10 hits over 10 innings — five of which were home runs. Three of those home runs were off the slider. In May, he conceded 16 hits over 10.1 IP. Down below in the graph, you can see that his slider and fastball were getting hit around more.
It was at that point where Iglesias was leaning more and more on that changeup, to the point where it was his most-used pitch in June. However, Iglesias had most of his success this season when he was trusting the four-seamer and keeping hitters off balance.
That resulted in a whiff heat map where Iglesias was getting swings-and-misses everywhere: up in the zone, down in the zone, and outside.
From July 1 onward, it was hard to find a better closer than the 25-year-old. He finished in a four-way tie with Andres Munoz, Jhoan Duran, and Carlos Estevez for most saves (20) in the Majors over that span. He also finished third in opponents’ wOBA (.162), behind only Aroldis Chapman and Mason Miller.
Iglesias’ velocity was down in points. The veteran reliever’s average four-seam velocity was down almost a full MPH in 2025 compared to 2024. However, he does have four reliable pitches, including his four-seam with run and a sinker, coupled with a good changeup and slider.
His arsenal, as Iglesias has shown in years, is more than good enough to get both left-handers and right-handers out.
The Braves confirmed via a social media announcement that Raisel Iglesias signed a one-year deal worth $16MM.
Analysis
Iglesias was one of several leaned-upon relievers to head to free agency this winter for the Braves. Remember, the Braves declined options on Tyler Kinley and Pierce Johnson, both of whom were important pieces for the Atlanta bullpen last season.
Without Iglesias, the Braves didn’t have a clear closer on their roster. Now, the Braves do.
What will be interesting to see over the coming days and weeks is what the Braves do or don’t do to add to the bullpen. Right now, Iglesias joins a group that includes Joe Jimenez, Aaron Bummer, Dylan Lee, and Daysbel Hernandez.
Jhancarlos Lara, who possesses a premium fastball and was beating hitters in the AFL with ease using the slider, is another option.
On top of all of that, the re-signing of Iglesias takes one reliever off the board, in a class that includes dominant relievers, as well as ones looking for a fresh start.
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