The 2026 Atlanta Braves will be remembered for a few things, and the unexpected contributions from the rotation is certainly one of them. In a rotation featuring Chris Sale and a bunch of duct tape for much of the season, run prevention was not the doom of the 2026 Braves.
In fact, Braves Country was treated to a number of masterclass pitching performances throughout the season. Performances that would make any of the Hall of Fame 90s pitchers proud. So when we rank the Braves' top five pitching performances from 2026, it's easy to remember that Atlanta pitched well more often than not.
It'd be easy to look at Sale's best five starts from 2026 and call it a day, but Atlanta's 3.63 ERA was fueled by more than just their ace. Atlanta used 16 different starting pitchers this year, and yet somehow they found a way to surpass expectations.
Ranking the five best pitching performances by Braves' pitchers in 2026
5. Spencer Strider vs. Dodgers - 05/09/26 - 6 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 8 K
Probably the most heartbreaking entry to include on this list, Spencer Strider's second start of the 2026 season brought all the good vibes back for the mustached hero. Instead, Strider's May start against the Dodgers proved to be the peak of his 2026 season.
Still, what a fun ride it was. Strider looked vintage on this night, thanks to an increase in velocity and plenty of whiffs on his slider. As we know, Strider would struggle to maintain this level of dominance in his remaining starts in 2026, before ultimately being shut down due ot injury.
Spencer Strider began his scoreless first with this strikeout of Shohei Ohtani. FB touched 97.5 and averaged 96.5 mph in the first. 10 of his 15 pitches were heaters pic.twitter.com/7WDZa6zOjk
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) May 10, 2026
4. Martin Perez vs. Nationals - 08/01/26 - 7 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
Veteran lefty Martin Perez was a revelation for the Braves in 2026. And no start better encapsulated his veteran guile than his August performance against the Nationals. As the story goes, Perez was napping when he was abruptly awakened to learn he would be pitching in an hour.
Due to an unexpected knee issue with Reynaldo Lopez, Perez was forced into a spot start against one of the best offenses in baseball. All Perez proceeded to do was pitch into the seventh inning, carrying a no-hitter. If this doesn't sum up Perez's 2026 season with the Braves, we don't know what will.
3. Tyler Mahle vs. Phillies - 09/12/26 - 7 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
One of the best trade deadline acquisitions in all of baseball was Tyler Mahle. The Braves acquired him from San Francisco at the deadline, and basically all of his nine starts with Atlanta went amazingly. It's hard to choose just one, but Mahle's September start against the Phillies stands out the most.
With the Braves looking to knock the Phillies out of the NL East race for good, Mahle delivered a truly superb start. Bryce Harper hit a first inning home run, and that is all Mahle would surrender on the night. This lengthy start in a big spot was a bit of foreshadowing, as Mahle eventually posted a similar stat line in Game Two of the Wild Card round. This was one of many Mahle masterpieces that have fans clamoring for Atlanta to bring him back in free agency.
2. Chris Sale vs. Phillies - 04/26/26 - 6 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 9 K
Talk about making a statement early in the year, Sale did just that back in late-April. The Braves raced out to a sizeable NL East lead early in the season, but when the Phillies came to Truist Park for the first time in 2026, Atlanta's ace was ready to shut them down.
With Atlanta's rival desperate for any sort of momentum, the Braves ace rose to the challenge of dominating the Phillies. Sale's efforts helped Philadelphia secure its10th consecutive loss, and days later brought an end to manager Rob Thompson's tenure.
1. Chris Sale vs. Dodgers - 08/27/26 - 9 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 11 K
Is there truly any other option than Sale's complete game shutout against the defending champs? This start wasn't just the best by a Brave; it was one of the best in all of baseball. With a game score of 88, Sale's August start against the Dodgers is miles beyond any other Braves start in 2026.
Complete games have become increasingly rare in modern baseball, and a complete game shutout is simply something you have to appreciate when you witness it. This type of performance against this level of opponent is something only a talent like Chris Sale can pull off.
With a roaring Truist Park crowd behind him, Sale just mowed the Dodgers down. What makes this performance even more epic is the fact that the Dodgers' ace, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, was matching Sale pitch for pitch. After a leadoff homer from Drake Baldwin, Sale pitched in an intense 1-0 game for the entirety of his night. Nervous moments in the ninth inning made fans wonder if Walt Weiss would pull Sale from the game. But as we soon found out, this was Sale's game to lose. The problem for LA is that nothing was going to stop Sale from winning that night.
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