By MIKE ROBERTS
The Atlanta Braves continue to have an amazing 2026 season. This past week, they won two out of three games against the Toronto Blue Jays before sweeping a three-game set with the Pittsburgh Pirates. It was Atlanta’s third sweep of the year and its first sweep of the Pirates since back in 2022.
Through all games played June 7, the Braves own the best record in Major League Baseball at 45-21 and are 18-2-1 in series this season. They also hold an incredible 10-game lead over the second-place Philadelphia Phillies in the National League East.
This week in the Braves Report, we’re handing out some superlatives to Atlanta’s top hitter, best starting pitcher, and bullpen MVP from the last week.
Top Hitter
Ronald Acuña Jr. (.259 AVG., .814 OPS, 7 HR, 22 RBI, 15 SB) was the man for the Braves in the final week of May, homering in four consecutive games. But this past week, honors went to Mauricio Dubon (.263 AVG., .738 OPS, 6 HR, 36 RBI, 1 SB), who clubbed home runs in three straight games and recorded at least one hit in four consecutive contests.
Dubon had back-to-back games with two hits and a homer: Thursday against the Blue Jays and Friday versus the Pirates. The 31-year-old utility player helped fuel Atlanta’s success during the first week of June.
Best Starting Pitcher
Looking at the entire season, Chris Sale (8-4, 2.23 ERA, 1.03 WHIP) has been the Braves’ best starting pitcher. However, the 2024 NL Cy Young winner didn’t have a great outing his last time on the mound, giving up a whopping 10 hits during Thursday’s 7-2 loss to Toronto.
Instead, the best starting pitcher for this past week was Grant Holmes (4-2, 3.86 ERA, 1.32 WHIP). While this honor could also go to someone like Spencer Strider (4-1, 4.00 ERA, 1.28 WHIP) or Martin Perez (4-3, 3.02 ERA, 1.06 WHIP), Holmes gets the slight edge. Holmes went six innings against the Blue Jays on Wednesday, allowing five hits, two runs, two walks, and striking out four batters.
Holmes received support from Braves hitters like Dubon, Matt Olson (.267 AVG, .877 OPS, 17 HR, 47 RBI, 2 SB), and Ozzie Albies (.275 AVG., .774 OPS, 10 HR, 36 RBI, 1 SB) as Atlanta picked up an impressive 7-3 victory.
Bullpen MVP
Raisel Iglesias (13 saves, 0.87 ERA, 0.97 WHIP) made three appearances this past week, recording back-to-back saves in Friday and Saturday’s victories against the Pirates by identical 6-3 scores. The veteran right-hander has converted 31 consecutive save opportunities since July 28, 2025, which is Major League Baseball’s longest active streak. That’s pretty good!
Heading into the second week of June, Iglesias has tallied at least one strikeout in eight straight appearances, and has rattled off 19 scoreless outings through 20 appearances across the entire season.
Iglesias has served as a lights-out closer for Atlanta since the start of the 2023 season, and the Braves will definitely need his top-notch pitching to continue if they want to make a deep postseason run this year.
Looking Ahead
Next up, the Braves will hit the road for a pair of three-game series: one against the Chicago White Sox, starting Tuesday, and then travel to New York to play the Mets starting Friday.
Here’s a look at the upcoming schedule, including TV information and probable starting pitchers:
Tuesday, 6/9: 7:40 PM, BravesVision/MLB.TV, Grant Holmes (ATL) (4-2, 3.86 ERA, 1.32 WHIP) vs. Erick Fedde (CHW) (1-5, 4.94 ERA, 1.41 WHIP)
Wednesday, 6/10: 7:40 PM, BravesVision/MLB.TV, Chris Sale (ATL) (8-4, 2.23 ERA, 1.03 WHIP) vs. TBD (CHW)
Thursday, 6/11: 7:40 PM, BravesVision/MLB.TV, Martin Perez (ATL) (4-3, 3.02 ERA, 1.06 WHIP) vs. TBD (CHW)
Friday, 6/12: 7:15 PM, Apple TV, TBD (ATL) vs. TBD (NYM)
Saturday,6/13: 4:10 PM, BravesVision/MLB.TV, TBD (ATL) vs. TBD (NYM)
Sunday, 6/14: 1:40 PM, BravesVision/MLB.TV, TBD (ATL) vs. TBD (NYM)