Elder's mindset is fueling the best stretch of his career.
Atlanta Braves right-hander Bryce Elder knows what it feels like when things aren't going well in baseball.
The 26-year-old former All-Star posted a 6.52 ERA in 10 starts during 2024 and followed that with a 5.30 ERA across 28 starts in 2025, two seasons that had plenty of people wondering whether he belonged in a big league rotation at all.
Eight starts into 2026, he looks nothing like the pitcher who struggled through those two years.
Shutting Down Seattle
Elder was sharp again Tuesday night, holding the Seattle Mariners to two hits and two runs across six innings in Atlanta's 3-2 win at T-Mobile Park.
He punched out a season-high nine batters and retired 11 of the final 13 hitters he faced after J.P. Crawford tagged him for a two-run homer in the third.
It was his fifth quality start in eight outings this season and it dropped his ERA to 2.02, good for eighth among qualified starters in the majors.
When Elder spoke after the game, his explanation for the turnaround was about as uncomplicated as it gets.
"I'm trying to go six or seven [innings]," Elder said. "Obviously I'm not going to every time out. But I'm just trying to keep the game progressing. If I give up a homer or whatever, that's fine. I'm just trying to keep us in the game."
What Has Changed
The results say he has been doing more than just keeping Atlanta in games.
Elder owns a 2.40 ERA over 15 starts dating back to August 24 of last year, and the only qualified starters with better numbers during that stretch are Cam Schlittler, Max Fried, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tarik Skubal and Clay Holmes.
The biggest difference is the cutter he developed while working with Braves pitching advisor Greg Maddux.
That pitch has given him something to throw against left-handed hitters that he never had before, and it has helped his slider play better from both sides too.
He went from relying on a sinker and slider in 2023 to having five pitches he trusts on any count.
"Bryce is for real," Braves manager Walt Weiss said after Tuesday's win. "This is a special roll that he is on."
Bigger Picture for Atlanta
The Braves are 26-11 and own the best record in baseball, with Matt Olson carrying the offense behind 13 home runs and the NL lead in fWAR.
But Atlanta also needed a starter to emerge alongside Spencer Strider and the young arms working their way up from the minors, and Elder has been that guy.
He has given the club someone they can trust every fifth day, which is something very few people expected heading into the season.