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ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 7: Jeremy Hefner #85 of the Atlanta Braves holds back pitcher Reynaldo López #40 after a fight on the field during the fifth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on April 7, 2026 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
Overall, the Atlanta Braves‘ starters have been a revelation for the team in 2026. Atlanta holds an 18-8 record, which is good for the best mark in MLB. They are set to take on the Philadelphia Phillies in a three-game weekend set.
Chris Sale is the obvious ace, but Atlanta has received strong starts from Grant Holmes, Bryce Elder, and, recently, JR Ritchie. Reynaldo Lopez is also off to a solid start, but his last two starts are reason for concern, and a recent Braves reporter shared a strong message about the concern surrounding Lopez.
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GettyANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 7: Reynaldo López #40 of the Atlanta Braves delivers to the plate in the second inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on April 7, 2026 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
Have to give a lot of credit to Reynaldo Lopez for his brave incident with Jorge Soler charging the mound, but ever since that start, he hasn’t been the same.
In two starts since that game against the Angels, Lopez has made two starts and pitched a total of six innings, while giving up six earned runs. He gave up three earned runs against the Miami Marlins, but was hit pretty hard, and in his most recent start against the Washington Nationals, Reynaldo Lopez didn’t get past the second inning.
He is still a firm part of the Braves’ rotation, but with Spencer Strider set to return soon, and Spencer Schwellenbach also looming back from injury, manager Walt Weiss and the front office will have some rotation decisions to make.
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GettySAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 28: Reynaldo Lopez #40 of the Atlanta Braves throws a pitch against the San Diego Padres during the first inning at Petco Park on March 28, 2025 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images)
HouseThatHankBuilt.com writer Eric Cole recently shared some concerning developments with Lopez’s recent starts:
“In 2026, however, that strength has turned into a glaring weakness. López now sits in the 1st percentile in the same metric—a dramatic reversal that highlights just how significantly his slider’s effectiveness has deteriorated. López’s slider has taken a significant step back in 2026, with its whiff rate dropping by more than 11% compared to his dominant 2024 campaign. The results have been just as troubling: opposing hitters have seen their production against the pitch skyrocket, as evidenced by a jump in wOBA from .220 to .440.”
Over five starts and 21.2 innings this season, Lopez has an ERA of 3.74, but that earned run average took a significant jump over the past two starts.
He pitched just five innings in 2025 after being an All-Star, and perhaps one of the best starters in MLB in 2024 (1.99 ERA over 25 starts).
So, Braves fans, are you concerned about these recent Reynaldo Lopez trends?
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