The Atlanta Braves bullpen is leaning so far to the right it’s practically off the mound. Of the 22 pitchers currently on the team’s 40-man roster, only five are lefties.
And when you dig a little deeper, that number is even less encouraging. Two of those five—Chris Sale and Dylan Dodd—are starters, so they won’t be much help in late-game relief situations.
That leaves just three potential left-handed bullpen arms: Aaron Bummer, Dylan Lee, and the biggest unknown of the group, Angel Perdomo.
Can Angel Perdomo Fill the Lefty Void?
Perdomo, 30, has been part of the Braves organization for a year, but he hasn’t thrown a single pitch in a game due to recovery from Tommy John surgery.
He’s set to earn around $800,000 in 2024, making him a low-cost option with some upside if he can return to form. Perdomo showed real promise with the Pirates in 2023 before his injury, posting a 3.72 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP across 30 appearances.
Advanced metrics backed up his performance—his 121 ERA+ and 3.01 FIP suggest he was figuring out how to handle big-league hitters before surgery sidelined him.
Of course, coming back from Tommy John is never a straight line. Spring Training will be critical for him to regain control and refine his mechanics. But if he can return to his pre-injury form, the Braves might have an underrated weapon.
The Slider Is the Key to Success
One thing that stands out about Perdomo’s game is his pitch mix. He primarily relies on a four-seamer and a slider, with an occasional changeup that doesn’t do much damage.
If the Braves want to maximize his effectiveness, they should lean into what worked best for him before his injury—his nasty slider.
In 2023, opponents hit a minuscule .111 against his slider with an even lower .148 slugging percentage according to Baseball Savant. That’s elite-level stuff for a reliever.
Meanwhile, hitters managed a .232 average against his fastball but tagged it for a .449 slugging percentage, with all three home runs he allowed coming off that pitch.
While his fastball’s 33.1% whiff rate is respectable (even slightly higher than Raisel Iglesias’ 32.8%), it still needs refinement to avoid hard contact.
Final Thoughts on Braves Bullpen Situation
If Perdomo can fully recover and lean into his dominant slider, he could emerge as a crucial lefty option for the Braves bullpen.
They haven’t made a splashy move to replace A.J. Minter, so Perdomo might just be their best bet to fill that late-inning lefty role.
In classic Braves fashion, they could turn an under-the-radar reliever into a key bullpen piece—something they’ve done time and time again. Keep an eye on him this spring.
