The Atlanta Braves’ acquisition of right-handed reliever Hunter Stratton in July 2025 was a classic low-risk, high-reward move intended to address the team’s massive, injury-driven pitching crisis. While Stratton provided some moments of clutch performance, his overall tenure in Atlanta was a mixed bag, defined by the same command volatility that led the Pittsburgh Pirates to initially designate him for assignment (DFA).
Acquired for minor league outfielder Titus Dumitru and cash—next to nothing in baseball currency—Stratton arrived as a late-blooming, generic reliever type whose expectations were appropriately low but whose track record suggested he could be a reliable seventh or eighth bullpen option.
The Problem That Followed Him: Command and Volatility
Stratton’s profile is a clear case of a pitcher whose “okay floor” comes with a hard cap on his upside, primarily due to inconsistent command.
| Performance Metric | Pre-Braves (2023-2024) | Braves (2025) | Season End (Total) |
| ERA- | 77 (Very Good) | 103 (Below Average) | 122 (Poor) |
| FIP- | 87 (Good) | 110 (Below Average) | 124 (Poor) |
| fWAR | +0.7 (2024 season) | -0.1 | -0.1 |
| Walk Rate | Tighter (Lower) | Ticked Up (Higher) | Elevated |
His downfall in 2025 was undeniably anchored by his poor start with the Pirates, which inflated his season-long metrics significantly. However, even with the Braves, his command remained the central flaw:
- The Delivery Trap: Stratton’s mechanics and arm action make his missed spots largely fall in the strike zone. This effectively limits his walk rate (giving him an okay floor) but simultaneously prevents whiffs and makes it “fairly easy to tee off on him when he misses his spot.”
The Highs and Lows in Atlanta
Despite the volatile metrics, Stratton did provide crucial, high-leverage moments for the injury-depleted Braves:
- The September Save: His biggest moment came on September 17 in a 9-4 win over the Nationals. With the tying and go-ahead runs on base in a one-run game, he relieved Dylan Dodd and, on his first pitch, induced a grounder that led to a clutch tag play out at home plate, saving the lead.
- The Costly Miss: That high was quickly negated on September 20 when, again asked to protect a one-run lead, he gave up a game-tying home run to Zach McKinstry on the third pitch he threw.1 This moment perfectly encapsulates the high-wire act of his pitching profile.
The Future: A Certainty of Uncertainty
The Braves, who chose not to exercise the options of veteran relievers Pierce Johnson and Tyler Kinley, have effectively created space for Stratton to compete for a spot. Given his pre-arbitration status (requiring only the league minimum salary) and having two minor league options remaining, his retention on the 40-man roster is a “sure bet.”
Stratton projects as a decent seventh or eighth guy in a bullpen. If he can “tighten up his command”—the ultimate, perennial challenge for any reliever—he has the pitch shapes and arsenal to stick. Until then, he remains a volatile, lottery ticket arm whose success depends heavily on luck (avoiding home runs) and whether he can locate his pitches just enough to avoid the costly mistakes that defined his 2025 season.
