After a tumultuous offseason filled with turnover and uncertainty, the Atlanta Braves appear to have steadied their bullpen heading into the 2026 season. The return of Raisel Iglesias and the addition of Robert Suarez have effectively solidified the back end of Atlanta’s relief corps, transforming what once looked like a glaring weakness into a legitimate strength. But beneath the surface of that renewed stability lies a different kind of storyline, one defined not by reliability, but by volatility. And few embody that better than pitching prospect Jhancarlos Lara.
Lara’s Shift to the Braves Bullpen Wasn’t Just Strategic, It Was Necessary
Once viewed as a possible starter with mid-rotation upside, Lara’s trajectory has taken a sharp turn toward the bullpen. The shift seems less like a matter of choice and more like inevitability. In Triple-A last season, Lara rarely pitched more than a couple of innings at a time, and the numbers suggest the Braves have long been preparing for a transition to short-inning relief. With a fastball that touches the upper 90s and a slider that generates real swing-and-miss, Lara possesses the type of electric arsenal that thrives in a bullpen role, on paper, at least.
A Brutal Walk Rate That Overshadows the Strikeouts
The primary obstacle standing between Lara and a permanent role on the Braves’ 26-man roster is his inability to consistently find the strike zone. His arm talent is evident, but so is his erratic command. The walk rates alone tell a concerning story: 6.5 BB/9 in 2024 ballooned to a staggering 8.5 BB/9 in 2025. Even as his strikeout numbers climbed, Lara’s ERA soared to an unworkable 8.39 last season. The promise is there, but so is the risk.
A Path to Relevance or the Edge of the Roster
This is the conundrum facing the Braves. If Lara can make even marginal progress with his control, getting his walk rate down to a passable 4.0 or 4.5 per nine innings, he instantly becomes a legitimate weapon. His fastball-slider combination is potent enough to make him a high-leverage reliever, capable of neutralizing elite hitters in late-game scenarios. But if the command doesn’t come, his path could veer in a far more disappointing direction, perhaps even out of the organization entirely.
For now, Lara remains a high-risk, high-reward proposition, one whose fate in 2026 hinges less on his raw stuff and more on whether he can finally tame it.
