The Atlanta Braves have improved in almost every area since the disastrous 0-7 start to the 2025 regular season.

Entering Sunday’s contest against the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Braves were ranked in the top five as a team in average, home runs, on-base percentage and slugging percentage since April 4.

Some questions about the team’s starting pitching have mostly been answered as well.

Grant Holmes and Spencer Schwellenbach didn’t pitch well in Arizona this weekend, but they each had several strong outings prior to that. Besides a couple off days, Schwellenbach has looked like an All-Star this season.

The remaining question for the Atlanta rotation is how quickly can Spencer Strider return and what will the team do until then?

But the bullpen is turning into a much bigger concern.

After Sunday, when left-handed reliever Aaron Bummer gave up two runs, the Braves only have two relief pitchers who have made at least four appearances with an ERA below 3.50. Most of them possess ERAs above 5.00.

The Braves allowed veterans AJ Minter and Tyler Matzek depart in free agency this past winter. So it’s not super surprising that the team hasn’t been able to find consistent middle-inning relievers yet in 2025.

But even closer Raisel Iglesias, who was absolutely dominating last season, has struggled. Iglesias owns a 6.30 ERA in 10 appearances this season.

Fans can use the excuse they did for the Braves offense a few weeks ago — it’s early. Especially for relief pitchers, the sample size is small.

But in those 10 appearances, Iglesias has already given up five home runs. Last year, Iglesias tossed up just four home runs … the entire season. Yes, four homers allowed in 69.1 innings.

On Sunday against the Diamondbacks, the Braves fell behind because of an uncustomary poor outing from Schwellenbach and bad defense (ironically, from Schwellenbach). But the Braves have proven over the last few weeks that they are never out of a game.

Atlanta scored two runs in the seventh to pull within a run. The Braves needed a zero from the bullpen to keep a comeback alive.

Bummer, though, allowed Arizona to answer with two runs in the bottom of the seventh. The Braves scored again in the ninth but couldn’t muster another two runs to tie the game and lost 6-4.

It’s unfair to expect the Braves bullpen to always be perfect. But a bullpen can’t give up a run with the momentum swinging back in their direction late in a game.

This happened the night after Iglesias blew a save opportunity in the ninth inning. The Braves still managed to beat Arizona during the 10th.

The Braves will add long reliever Ian Anderson to their bullpen this week in Colorado. He’s unlikely to solidify the Atlanta bullpen. But the Braves are going to have to keep adding pitchers off the waiver wire until they find the right mix this season.

Atlanta’s bullpen is ranked 21st with a 4.32 ERA through one month this season. The bullpen has better marks in other key statistical categories, but 21st is a steep decline from third, which is where the Braves bullpen finished last season behind a 3.32 ERA.