Martin Perez Sets New Atlanta Braves Record During Rays Start

Martin Perez has been a pleasant surprise for the Atlanta Braves this year. Perez was signed to a minor league deal back in January and was even designated for assignment in April, but chose to remain with the Braves rather than join another organization. That decision has paid off massively for both sides and has turned into one of the more rewarding low-risk signings any team has made this season.

Perez has shown himself to be a dependable member of the rotation and is a serious candidate to start a postseason game for Atlanta. For the Braves, they are getting an impressive veteran arm at 35 years old for essentially nothing. He has made 28 appearances this year, posting a 3.08 ERA with 98 strikeouts across 131 2/3 innings.

This success also appears sustainable given his recent track record. Last year with the Chicago White Sox he owned a 3.54 ERA, and during his stint with the San Diego Padres in 2024 his ERA was 3.46. Perez will not overwhelm hitters with velocity, but his command has been the key to keeping hitters off balance and limiting hard contact consistently throughout his time in Atlanta.

Perez has been especially dominant in front of Braves fans at Truist Park. During his most recent outing Thursday in a series finale against the Tampa Bay Rays, he had one of his best starts of the season, tossing seven innings and allowing zero runs while striking out four and helping end Atlanta's three-game skid at an important point in the season.

In doing so he also set a new Braves record. "LHP Martín Pérez has pitched to a 0.28 ERA across his last six home starts, the lowest mark by a Brave in such a span since earned runs became official in 1912," the Braves wrote on X.

Given how dominant Perez has been at home, the Braves may elect to have him start Game 2 of a wild card series if that is where they end up. Playoff seeding is not fully determined, but as things currently stand Atlanta would host a wild card team for a three-game series, and Perez has done more than enough to earn a start in that scenario based on everything he has shown this season.

The future is unclear for Perez after this season, but he has certainly earned a major league deal this offseason. A reunion in Atlanta appears to be a likely scenario given how thin the Braves rotation is this year and beyond, and both sides would likely welcome that conversation when the time comes.