For a team trying to find its rhythm in 2025, the Atlanta Braves had the golden opportunity to reach .500 on Sunday. Instead, they let it slip again—and this time with their $56 million closer on the mound and in a high-leverage situation that turned sour real fast.

Raisel Iglesias, who was coming off two days of rest meant to reset, was called on in the ninth with the game tied 3-3. All he needed to do was force extras. But after loading the bases against the Pittsburgh Pirates team that had just fired its manager and was reeling from seven losses in eight games- Iglesias surrendered a walk-off on Joey Vart’s sharp grounder that Nick Allen couldn’t handle.

It was not supposed to go like this. Iglesias was expected to anchor a playoff-caliber bullpen, not become a question mark. But sadly, he is not performing well, and his once deadly swing and miss stuff is nowhere to be found. And even offensively, the Braves aren’t helping either.

First to point out is The Athletic’s David O’Brien, “ would’ve been better off facing Skenes today. They have an uncanny knack for making below-average pitchers look like aces, and have for years. Meanwhile, some of their best hitting days have been against top-tier starters. But right now, they’re just a poor-hitting team.” Ouch! Well, he isn’t really wrong.

That rang true on Sunday, as Pirates starter Carmen Mlodzinski, who had lasted 5⅔ innings. He shut down the Atlanta Braves for the length of his outing, and Sean Murphy gave the Braves a glimmer of hope with a three-run double in the eighth to tie it. The momentum quickly faded. Now Braves are sitting 19-21, still unable to crack. 500 marks. And one thing is clear—the fans have had enough. As Iglesias keeps blowing these key moments, the call for a change is only getting louder, and maybe now the Braves cannot ignore it.

Atlanta Braves fans lose patience

A user in X is calling out Iglesias, and how long he should be given a chance. It’s not just a bad outing anymore—it has become a trend, and fans are annoyed. Over the past month, Raisel Iglesias has looked more like a liability than a lockdown closer. His ERA is ballooning past five, and while Brian Snitker has stuck with him, fans are saying they don’t want him. They have watched several games slip away, and patience is wearing thin for them. The cries, hence, for a shake-up are getting louder.

This fan is not sugarcoating it, calling Iglesias absolutely terrible. Because his gameplay is at this level is not expected. Iglesias may have had an excellent 2024 season, but that feels like a long-gone memory now. Atlanta’s offense is struggling, and even counting doubling, the Braves can’t afford to keep going with a closer who can’t really seal the deal at this point. Now, every blown save is not just frustrating; it is also altering the NL East race.

The sentiment here that Iggy isn’t a closer material and they don’t have moments to waste cuts really deep, but this isn’t wrong. Atlanta has stumbled so badly, and in winnable games, they have lost, like with the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Rockies. In a race where they needed to claw their way back into their division, they couldn’t afford to waste late leads. Iglesias’s unreliability is not a bullpen issue; it is also a hit to the team trying to score and win.

This fan really digs a little deeper, and they make a fair point about how Iglesias was never a cornerstone. While Iglesias racked up the saves last season, he wasn’t the kind of closer who blows hitters away. Instead, he often got by through a decent location and a little bit of luck. But in 2025, the margin for error has simply vanished. Now, when the Braves need a guy in high-stress innings, he isn’t the guy.

The fan comment about the offense being the worst reflects how much frustration has spread beyond even the mound. The Braves are not dealing with bullpen implosions; their team’s offense has dried up. They have averaged just 2.8 runs a game since April 30 and couldn’t do anything against arms like Mlodzinski and Falter. It’s the kind of offensive drought that no pitching staff can cover for, and fans are done with it.

Right now, the cries for change are becoming loud and clear. Do you think the Braves will take the step? Let us know in the comments.