The Atlanta Braves surprised everyone when they signed Robert Suarez to a three-year, $45 million contract. Suarez has been one of the best closers in baseball over the last two seasons. Most thought he would sign to be the closer with a contender in 2026.
However, the Braves acquired him to be their setup man next season. He will be a great pairing with Raisel Iglesias to give Atlanta a great 1-2 punch in the late innings. The other pro to Suarez being in the bullpen is that he can close games should Iggy need a night off.
Suarez's addition might be the best move made so far this offseason. He might just be Atlanta's secret weapon when it comes to their bullpen. The relief core needed a bit of a lift, so it was great to see them be aggressive and grab one of the best arms available. Suarez is a hard thrower and doesn't walk a lot of batters. That's exactly what you want out of the backend of your bullpen.
Robert Suarez will undoubtedly be a secret weapon for the Braves in 2026
The two-time All-Star immediately became one of Atlanta's hardest-throwing arms. Suarez averaged a 98.6 mph fastball last season, which was in the 97th percentile among MLB pitchers. He was impressive all around in 2025 with a 2.97 ERA and 2.88 FIP over 69.2 innings, including 40 saves, 16 walks, and 75 strikeouts. His walk rate was a career low of 5.9% as well.
Robert Suárez, 101mph ⛽️ pic.twitter.com/ear8z87XeY
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) October 9, 2024
Having 32 walks, 134 strikeouts, and almost 80 saves over the last two years is incredibly impressive. Since his MLB debut in 2022, he's had a 7.6% walk rate and 26.5% strikeout rate. That high-velocity fastball helps keep those strikeout numbers high. But his ability to limit walks is even more impressive.
Suarez's sinker is also considered a quality pitch, but his changeup may need some tweaking ahead of 2026. Opponents only batted .200 against that pitch in 2024. However, in 2025, opposing hitters batted .310 against his changeup.
His whiff rate with the changeup dropped from 45.2% to 32.8%, but his put-away rate increased slightly from 14% to 16%. If he's able to regain the effectiveness of that pitch, opponents are in for a rude awakening.
Being able to have two of the most reliable closers in baseball on the same roster feels like a cheat code. However, Braves fans will be very happy to have this duo covering close games in 2026.