Hudson Webb
Jun 16, 2025
Braves Are Insulting Their Pitching Staff
Let’s be clear: the Braves’ starting rotation has shown up this June. They’ve been composed, dominant, and consistent. The problem? The bats and bullpen have not. It’s hard to overstate how frustrating it must be to toss a gem, only to watch it evaporate in the late innings or go unrewarded by lifeless offensive support. That’s been the reality for Atlanta’s starters all month.
Chris Sale: All-Star Caliber, No Help to Show for It
Chris Sale has looked like a man possessed. At 35, he’s pitching his best baseball in years, regularly giving the Braves six or more innings of strong, low-ERA work. His command is sharp, his fastball has bite again, and he’s racking up strikeouts with ease. After a slower start, his June ERA is sitting near 1.00, and yet the Braves have squandered several of his best outings. Sale has been everything the Braves hoped for and more, a workhorse lefty who can dominate any lineup, but without offense or bullpen support, his performances feel like wasted masterpieces.
Spencer Strider: Back to Ace Form
After a few up-and-down starts early in the season, Strider appears to have recalibrated. His latest outing: 13 strikeouts over six shutout innings was vintage Strider. His fastball is explosive, and his slider continues to generate whiffs at an elite rate. But what’s most impressive is his focus. He’s attacking hitters early in counts and not letting walks creep up. Still, the Braves offense backed him with just three runs, and the bullpen nearly let it slip. When your ace delivers like this, you’re supposed to win comfortably, not hold your breath in the ninth.
Spencer Schwellenbach: Quietly Effective
The sophomore has been calm, collected, and efficient. Schwellenbach doesn’t overpower hitters, but he keeps the ball on the ground and gets quick outs. He’s pitched into the sixth inning multiple times this month and done everything the Braves could ask of a young rotation arm. Despite his strong starts, the offense has provided him with minimal support. In fact, in two of his better outings, the Braves scored one combined run. It’s not a recipe for building confidence in a young arm.
Grant Holmes: Better Than the Box Score
Don’t be fooled by the record, Holmes has pitched well. In a recent start, he struck out nine over 5.1 innings and 15 over 6.0 Innings showing sharp stuff and a fearless approach. His ERA doesn’t tell the full story because the bullpen has repeatedly let inherited runners score or collapsed right after he exits. Holmes, who has been fighting for a rotation spot all season, has shown he can be trusted to eat innings and miss bats, now he just needs the team to support him like they would a top-3 starter.
The Bullpen: A Tire Fire
The Braves bullpen has been a mess. Whether it’s late-inning walks, blown saves, or flat-out meltdowns, it’s clear this group is in disarray. Key arms like Raisel Iglesias have lost command. Setup men have failed to hold slim leads. Closers have been unreliable. It feels like no lead is safe once the ball leaves the starter’s hand. In multiple games this month, the bullpen has surrendered multi-run leads in the eighth or ninth, erasing what were shaping up to be signature wins for the rotation. It’s not just demoralizing, it’s unsustainable.
The Offense: In a Deep Freeze
Even more troubling than the bullpen might be the lineup. In June, the Braves rank near the bottom of the league in runs scored. Outside of Ronald Acuña Jr. no one has seemed to want to win. Slumps from key hitters, a lack of timely hitting, and a shocking drop-off in home run production have left this offense looking toothless. Some nights it’s strikeout after strikeout. Other nights, they string together hits but can’t bring runners home. Either way, it’s the same result: wasted starts and empty innings. The Braves are too talented to be this quiet at the plate, but right now, they are.
Final Word
The Braves starting rotation has held up its end of the bargain… and then some. They’ve put together quality starts, mowed through lineups, and kept this team in games. But with the offense dragging and the bullpen coughing up leads, their efforts are being flushed down the drain.
If the Braves want to stop sliding, it won’t be on the arms of Chris Sale or Spencer Strider, they’ve done more than enough. It’ll be on the bats waking up and the bullpen finally slamming the door shut. Until then, this team is insulting its most valuable asset: the starting rotation. So bottom line: Pull them together Snitker!
