Evaluating Dylan Lee’s Complex Season In the Braves’ Bullpen

This past season, the Atlanta Braves had one of the strongest bullpens in baseball, in which each member of it contributed at a high level. 

Atlanta’s back end of the bullpen consisted of one of the more feared groups in baseball. Closer Raisel Iglesias spearheaded the team’s high-leverage tandem, which also consisted of Robert Suárez and the 21-year-old Didier Fuentes. For most of the season, left-hander Dylan Lee was also an integral part of that group.

Over the past couple of seasons, Lee has emerged as the Braves’ most reliable left-hander in relief. After back-to-back strong campaigns, Lee backed it up with a strong 2026 season, which started off on a very high note but ended with some notable struggles.

Lee’s 2026 season was defined by a true tale of two halves. As he has always been, he started off the season as a reliable and consistent non-closing reliever. He dominated throughout the first half of the season, as he posted a 1.47 ERA and held opposing hitters to a .143 batting average across 43 innings pitched.

The 32-year-old’s stellar first half had put him in consideration for an All-Star nod, in which he ended up falling just short of one. Nonetheless, he complemented a strong Atlanta bullpen — until sudden inconsistencies defined his second half.

The struggles began for Lee just after the All-Star break, as he never really found his footing after that. In 27 appearances in the second half, Lee recorded a 6.00 ERA in 24 innings of work. He allowed a .287 opposing batting average and his command took a noticeable dip from his previous numbers.

When the postseason came around, Lee had still not proven himself as reliable down the stretch. In his last seven appearances in the regular season, Lee posted an 8.53 ERA. In five appearances in the postseason, Lee allowed two runs in 4 ⅓ innings of work, as both runs came by way of a home run.

As a result of his second half struggles, the Braves coaching staff worked with Lee to find any mechanical issues, according to Mark Bowman of MLB.com. In fact, Lee had even suspected that pitch-tipping could have played a factor in his lack of success on the mound. 

While the struggles emerged as a sudden concern for Atlanta, the Braves, as they should, will continue to trust Lee as a reliable southpaw in relief. After all, Lee has the entire offseason to clean up and identify any mechanical issues that could use adjusting going forward.