The Braves will continue to have Cuban closer Raisel Iglesias, after signing him for one year and $16 million for the 2026 season, the club announced Wednesday night.
Iglesias, 35, remains a formidable closer. His 29 saves with the Braves last season tied for ninth in all of baseball, while his 57 games finished led the National League. He finished the year with a 3.21 ERA and 73 strikeouts in 67.1 innings. But his season was a tale of two parts.
Iglesias posted a 6.00 ERA in his first 28 appearances, as his lack of slider command – previously a major strength – contributed heavily to several poor games, four blown saves and five losses. Hitters hit five home runs off their slider during that stretch, compared to just one in all of 2024.
But from the night of June 18 until the end of the season, Iglesias regained his old form and posted a 1.34 ERA with 21 saves over the last three months. The change led to Iglesias being named National League Reliever of the Month for August after he allowed just one run all month. In fact, that streak was the only one he allowed in his final 27 appearances of the season, leaving an ERA of 0.34 during that period.
Iglesias’ continued success is tied to his ability to limit hard contact and make hitters swing at pitches outside the zone. His sinker, which averaged just under 95 mph in 2025, remains effective when combined with his changeup and slider, both of which also remain formidable pitches. His changeup produced a 41% blank swing rate, while his slider produced blank swings at a 34% rate. All of this led to a very good hard contact rate of 34.9% in 2025. Hitters averaged .206 against him and just .139 after June 17. Meanwhile, his swings to pitches outside the zone rate of 32.7% on the season ranked in MLB’s 90th percentile.
Iglesias recorded his 250th career save on the night of September 16 against the Nationals, making him one of only 40 pitchers to reach that mark since saves became an official statistic in 1969.
