During a rollercoaster 2026 season, one position group has proved more consistent than any other for the Atlanta Braves. That of course, is the vaunted bullpen. With an All-Star closer, a cast of filthy high-leverage arms, and respectable depth, the Braves' bullpen has been putting in work all year long.
Unfortunately, the bullpen just showed its first signs of uncertainty during this most recent week of baseball. Raisel Iglesias blew the save on Monday night, Dylan Lee has turned in a couple of shaky outings, and rookie Didier Fuentes is (figuratively) limping toward the break. Thankfully, one sneaky depth piece could prove just the guy necessary to lift those around him.
Danny Young, Frisbee Sweeper with over 2 Feet of Horizontal Break (25 inches). 🥏 pic.twitter.com/Tv87mtPYzq
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) September 7, 2024
Danny Young could prove to be the perfect arm to round out this Braves' bullpen
It is the ultimate of all small sample sizes, but Danny Young's first couple of outings on the season yielded promising results. Young carries a .201 xwOBA, 1.76 xERA and 2.51 xFIP through his first cup of coffee in 2026, and if he can continue missing bats (or generating ground balls), he will keep a spot in Atlanta's bullpen.
Young's 14° arm angle makes for an uncomfortable at-bat, especially against left-handed hitters. He attacks hitters exclusively with his sinker/sweeper combo, and the average velocity on both pitches (93.2 mph on the sinker & 82.8 mph on the sweeper) is actually a tick above his career norms.
When the Braves signed Young to a split contract back in December, he was quickly forgotten due to the fact that he was recovering from injury. However, once Aaron Bummer proved ineffective, the need for another quality lefty out of the bullpen became evident. Luckily, Dylan Dodd has been up to that challenge thus far.
Despite Dodd's success, the seventh and eighth relievers on Atlanta's roster have been in constant fluctuation for basically the entire 2026 season. Perhaps it was Young's return on July 3 that will prove the difference maker toward stabilizing the bullpen.
Understandably, starting rotation reinforcements have been the talk of Braves Country, but Young very well could be the piece that completes the bullpen puzzle for Walt Weiss. An effective Young allows Weiss to take some mid-to-high-leverage spots against LHH's off Lee's plate. It also allows the team to limit Fuentes' innings, something the team is clearly aiming to do.
Perhaps most importantly, Young being a quality reliever allows Weiss to stop "punting" these tightly contested games. Most Braves fans would prefer to watch Danny Young pitch in a game Atlanta is trailing by two, rather than veteran Carlos Carrasco. Hopefully, Young can build off his strong start and give the bullpen another weapon to deploy.
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