If you were to be asked on the spot, which Atlanta Braves player ranks fifth on the team in Fangraphs WAR, who would you say? The top four players this season has been Chris Sale (4.9 fWAR), Matt Olson (4.1 fWAR), Michael Harris II (3.5 fWAR), and Drake Baldwin (2.5 fWAR). So who rounds out the top five? None other than Mr. Consistent himself, Dylan Lee.
Lee has been a lockdown reliever, last night's adventure against the Dodgers notwithstanding, all year long for Atlanta. In 59.2 innings pitched this season, Lee has a 2.41 ERA, 2.04 FIP, 0.85 WHIP, and 73 strikeouts. If you were to look at his Baseball Savant page, you'd see it littered with red circles.
Entering August 27, Lee ranks in the 90th percentile or better in each of the following categories: xERA (2.43), xBA (.189), chase% (35.4), whiff% (37.0), K% (32.0), hard-hit% (31.4). It's the same formula for Lee, lean on his elite slider and mix in the four-seam fastball and changeup.
Lee throws his slider 53% of the time and generates a 43.1 whiff rate and .277 xSLG on that pitch. Additionally, Lee's fastball traits are elite, averaging 20 inches of induced vertical break, 4.4 inches above league average. Lee's slider, four-seam fastball, and changeup each are limiting hitters to a sub .207 expected batting average. Lee remains elite, and in 2026 he has been extremely valuable for a guy making just over $2 million this season.
Dylan Lee, K'ing the Side in the 7th pic.twitter.com/V7bW33Nw50
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 30, 2026
Dylan Lee's excellence made the Robert Suarez loss much more tolerable for the Braves
Normally, when one of your high-leverage setup men goes down with injury, pitchers are forced into uncomfortable roles in the bullpen. Thankfully, Lee is well accustomed to pitching in high-leverage spots for Atlanta. When Robert Suarez went down with injury in June, the Braves began utilizing Lee as their primary setup man.
Lee slotted into the eighth inning quite nicely, and often times gets the ball to closer Raisel Iglesias with the lead in tact. The periphery pieces of Atlanta's bullpen has fluctuated throughout the season, but Lee, Didier Fuentes, and Iglesias have been the constants.
Additionally, Lee has clearly been the best left-handed option for Walt Weiss to lean on when platoon splits call for it. Yes, Dylan Dodd has been quite good himself, but he isn't someone who has been trusted with a ton of high-leverage spots. When an opposing team's toughest left-handed hitter has stepped into the box with the game on the line, Weiss has rightfully called upon Lee.
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