After the Atlanta Braves brought back Tyler Kinley on Saturday, the bullpen seemed to be inching toward it's final form. Entering this offseason the bullpen was a serious question mark for the Braves, but Alex Anthopoulos was clearly on a mission to improve this unit since the very beginning of the offseason.
If Anthopoulos fulfills his hope to land another starting pitcher, the bullpen could in turn benefit with Reynaldo Lopez or Grant Holmes sliding into a relief role. Established names like Robert Suarez, Raisel Iglesias, Dylan Lee, and others are locks for the 2026 bullpen. However, beyond those expected contributors, Atlanta has quite a few fringe bullpen candidates that will have a lot riding on their respective spring training performance. One of those pitchers is 27 year-old Dylan Dodd.
As things stand Dylan Lee and Aaron Bummer are the top left-handed relievers in the organization. After those two veterans the impact from the left-hand side isn't written in stone, and Dodd has the potential to be the all important third bullpen lefty.
Dylan Dodd could get a legit shot to stick in Atlanta's bullpen in 2026
Dodd could be a breakout bullpen piece for the Braves in 2026 thanks to a strong 2025 in limited work. In 35 innings, he posted a 3.60 ERA and a 0.94 WHIP, striking out 30 batters while limiting baserunners efficiently. What makes him intriguing is his ability to handle right-handed hitters particularly well. Last season, RHH's batted just .147 against him in large part to his new cutter.
Although left-handed hitters had more success, the overall sample shows Dodd isn’t limited strictly to specialist duty and could be trusted in various bullpen roles. With improved consistency and a defined relief role, Dodd’s mix of control, strikeouts, and reverse splits could make him a valuable and unexpectedly pivotal arm in Atlanta’s bullpen next year.
The back-end bullpen options each come with question marks, but Dodd possesses skills that make him a very attractive bullpen arm. Last season, Dodd finished with an impressive 30.9% whiff rate and, more importantly, greatly limited his free passes. In 2025, Dodd posted an excellent 3.7% walk rate. Generating whiffs and limiting walks is a fast way to secure a bullpen spot in Atlanta. Perhaps 2026 is the year Dodd carves out an everyday major-league role, as it certainly feels like the opportunity will be there for the taking.