Bullpen creativity is often a theme in postseason baseball. With every pitch feeling high-stress, starting pitchers do not normally pitch very deep into the game. This forces teams to rely on their bullpen quite a bit, and it's part of the reason Alex Anthopoulos has invested so heavily in the Atlanta Braves' bullpen over the years.
Ahead of their postseason run, Atlanta's general manager sat down for an interview with Peter Moylan of BravesVision. In this postseason preview conversation, Anthopoulos spoke about how the Braves can get creative with their bullpen for the 2026 postseason. If what Anthopoulos hinted at holds true, Braves fans need to prepare themselves for some unconventional bullpen usage.
Check out Part 1 of Peter Moylan's interview with Alex Anthopoulos! pic.twitter.com/oVWiNaC48T
— BravesVision (@BravesVisionTV) September 28, 2026
Alex Anthopoulos hints that the Braves could use trusted relievers in differing roles based on matchups
Anthopoulos mentioned how in the playoffs you often seek certain matchups with your bullpen. He referenced how the team felt Tyler Matzek's velocity was an advantage against Mookie Betts in 2021, and every time that opportunity presented itself, that was the matchup they wanted to go for. Anthopoulos went on to say that this obviously isn't the case in the regular season because relievers are not available each day.
Finally, Anthopoulos concluded this point by mentioning how different guys in the bullpen have pitched in different innings throughout the year. He said the team doesn't necessarily have to use the closer in the ninth inning in every postseason game. Anthopoulos called back to examples of Iglesias pitching the eighth inning, and even Robert Suarez pitching the sixth inning against the Dodgers this year.
Entering this postseason, we knew Atlanta's bullpen would be key to a deep October run. Anthopoulos' comments only confirmed that thinking on Monday. The encouraging news is that Atlanta seems prepared to get creative with the bullpen if necessary.
That could mean a Dylan Lee versus Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper matchup earlier in the game, or even going to Robert Suarez when you feel you reach a portion of the Phillies lineup where velocity gives you an advantage. In the end, all of this will be up to Walt Weiss' discretion. Atlanta has been burned by bullpen mismanagement before, so let's hope Walt pushes the right buttons this postseason.
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