Can you believe Martin Pérez, a guy who signed a minor league deal, ended up being Atlanta’s biggest surprise and arguably their second-best pitcher after Chris Sale this season? Yeah, it’s wild. The veteran lefty delivered way beyond his modest $3.5 million price tag, becoming an absolute rock for a Braves rotation absolutely hammered by injuries in 2026. This dude, who was even floated through a DFA and re-signing stretch, became one of the most reliable starters on a staff that still managed to lead Atlanta to the NLDS.
Unexpected Ace Behind Sale
Nobody saw this coming. Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter called Pérez Atlanta’s “biggest surprise,” and it’s easy to see why. After signing that minor league deal in the offseason, Pérez, a 15-year veteran, just settled in and dominated. Chris Sale was clearly the ace, leading the Braves’ pitching staff with an insane 5.5 WAR. But right behind him? Pérez, with a stellar 2.9 WAR. He even edged out right-hander Grant Holmes by 0.2 WAR, solidifying his spot as a crucial piece for the NL East club. Talk about exceeding expectations.
A Workhorse With Weak Contact
Pérez might not have the overpowering stuff that lights up radar guns, evidenced by his 102 strikeouts across 142 innings, but man, he gets the job done. His secret sauce? Generating weak contact and an above-average amount of ground balls, which is gold when your rotation is banged up and you need guys to eat innings. In his 30 appearances, including 26 starts, Pérez put up a fantastic 3.04 ERA and kept the ball in the park, allowing less than one home run per nine innings (0.9, to be exact). What a performance. Unfortunately, he was unavailable during the Wild Card Series due to lower back inflammation, which had to sting for Atlanta fans.
Looking ahead, it’s pretty clear the Braves should be all over a reunion with Pérez this offseason. Given the value he brought at such a modest price tag, and how essential he was to their NLDS run with a patchwork staff, bringing him back feels like a no-brainer. What a turnaround for a guy who was practically an afterthought just a year ago.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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