Tyler Mahle Continues His Smooth-Sailing Since Joining Atlanta Braves

When a starting pitcher is slated to face the same team in back-to-back starts, most of the time it is considered to be a disadvantage to the pitcher and optimal for the opposing offense.

In the case of Atlanta Braves starter Tyler Mahle facing the Philadelphia Phillies in back-to-back outings, the occasion means the opposite. 

After facing the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park last Sunday and tossing six innings without an earned run, Mahle backed that outing with another gem against their division rival, this time at home and turning in seven innings of one-run ball. Ultimately, he set the Braves up for a timely 12-2 win that furthered their cushion in the running for the NL East title.

That is what the Braves ordered when they acquired Mahle at the trade deadline in early-August, as he has been one of the most dominant starting pitchers in the league ever since he was acquired by Atlanta. 

Braves manager Walt Weiss had nothing but praise for the right-hander after Mahle recorded his sixth quality start as a Brave.

“With Mahle doing what he’s doing, I’m sure it's a good feeling when the guys see his name on the card,” Weiss said, according to BravesVisionTV. “He just executes pitches and he’s got a unique fastball, I think the release point has a lot to do with it. It’s hard to get to.”

Mahle’s outing on Saturday was yet another illustration of his importance to the team. 

In seven starts with the Braves, Mahle has only allowed multiple earned runs just once, topping out at two. He has posted a 1.25 ERA in 43 ⅓ innings of work, while boasting exceptional command in recording 38 strikeouts to just six walks.

Mahle not only has delivered in the Braves rotation, but has also completely turned his season around from what it was prior to the trade. 

Initially on a one-year deal with the San Francisco Giants, Mahle had posted career-worst numbers in his time as a Giant. In 18 starts, he had a 5.13 ERA to his name when the Braves traded for him.

Consequently, Mahle has significantly lowered his ERA since the trade went down. After his outing on Saturday, the 31-year-old now owns a 3.91 ERA this season, while recording his most innings pitched in a season since 2022.

“He’s one of the unnoticed trade (deadline) acquisitions, and he’s been phenomenal ever since he came here,” said Michael Harris II, per BravesVisionTV. “It’s fun playing behind him, it gets a little boring sometimes because they don’t put it in play as much.”

More importantly, Mahle has delivered some crucial starts as the Braves inch closer to a division title. With 13 games remaining on the regular season schedule, Atlanta leads the Phillies by six games, as the magic number for the NL East crown is now seven games.