Braves' Elder return to dominance has been key for successful season
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Braves' Elder return to dominance has been key for successful season originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Atlanta Braves are pulling away with the National League East lead, and there is nothing that is really stopping them. At 32-15, they hold an 8-game lead over the Philadelphia Phillies.
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One of their biggest strengths this season has been a big rebound from a key pitcher in the rotation. Bryce Elder, who was fantastic in 2023, before faltering in 2024 and 2025, has picked it back up here in the early going of 2026. This is exactly what Elder needed, as well as the Braves.
Elder was named as one of 10 bounce-back players in MLB this season, by MLB.com writer Jason Foster.
At 4-2, with an ERA of 2.01, Elder has been nasty on the mound. He has been getting it done with his slider and sinker, which have both only generated 13 hits a piece in 76 and 63 at-bats, respectively. His cutter has also been devastating as well, as he has only allowed batters to a .174 batting average against it.
He also ranks amongst the top of Major League Baseball in barrel%, which is a measly 3.5%, according to Baseball Savant.
The Braves needed Elder to rid the past and focus on the now and the future. Those demotions down to Triple-A are a killer for young pitchers trying to not only crack the Major League rotation, but also stay there long-term.
There is still a long summer ahead, and Elder has only completed a third of the starts that he is anticipated to go. There is a chance that he could sneak into the highly-contested NL Cy Young award race, and grab a few votes along the way.