SE Atlanta News

Mark Bowman

ATLANTA -- While participating in a recent charity golf tournament, Jesse Chavez thanked Tim Hudson for the guidance he and other Braves veterans provided him back in 2010 when he was a 26-year-old Atlanta pitcher, still early in his now 17-year Major League career.

“I let him know, he’s part of the reason why I’m still around,” Chavez said. “It was great. It was a good talk.”

Chavez has consistently credited Hudson, Billy Wagner, Eric Hinske, David Ross, Brian McCann, and other veterans from the 2010 Atlanta team for showing him how to be a big leaguer. As each of them is well into their respective retirements, the 40-year-old reliever continues to perform at an elite level.

Ozzie Albies hit a go-ahead homer in the eighth inning and Forrest Wall celebrated his return to the Majors with a key RBI single. However, it was Chavez’s ability to clean up a sixth-inning mess and pitch a scoreless seventh that gave the Braves the chance to claim a 2-1 win over the Tigers on Monday night at Truist Park.

“He’s shown time and time again that he’s reliable and that he makes big pitches,” Braves starting pitcher Max Fried said. “He’s a big part of this team.”

Chavez has become a fan favorite since returning to the Braves during the 2021 season. Despite joining three other organizations since then, he has always found his way back to Atlanta where he has experienced success that eluded him elsewhere.

The Cubs, Angels, and White Sox have all released Chavez since the start of the 2022 season. The Braves have been more than willing to use him in high-leverage situations like Monday's sixth inning when Chavez replaced Fried with two on, one out and the Tigers leading 1-0.

“You can’t make any situation any bigger than what it is,” Chavez said. “I think that’s what our M.O. is right now.”

The Braves won for the fifth time in their past six games because Chavez handled this situation like the seasoned pro he has become since playing for Braves Hall of Fame manager Bobby Cox’s final team. He struck out Justyn-Henry Malloy and remained focused after a balk put two runners in scoring position before getting help with a called third strike against Colt Keith.

“Anytime you can go in and do your job when you’re called upon, that’s a blessing,” Chavez said.

Chavez will turn 41 on Aug. 20. He made this appearance against the Tigers three days after marking one year since his left shin was fractured by a Miguel Cabrera comebacker in Detroit.

Despite his age, Chavez might be performing better than ever with a posted ERA of 1.21 in 23 appearances (29 2/3 innings). He has limited opponents to an .059 batting average (2-for-34) with runners in scoring position—the best among all pitchers who have faced at least 35 batters with RISP—and allowed just one of 13 inherited runners to score.

“I had a coach in college that said I was going to pitch into my 40s,” Chavez said. “It’s a testament to the people I’ve been around, the guidance I’ve gotten from older guys.”

Braves manager Brian Snitker was Cox’s third-base coach when Chavez spent four months with Atlanta during the 2010 season before being traded along with Gregor Blanco to Kansas City for Kyle Farnsworth and Rick Ankiel before the Trade Deadline.

Fourteen years and seven major league teams later, it feels like Chavez was always meant to be with Atlanta.

Chavez has posted an ERA of 2.03 over 151 innings with Atlanta since rejoining them mid-2021 while producing an ERA of 7.16 over his combined innings with Cubs and Angels within this same period. The White Sox cut him loose at this year’s Spring Training.

Chavez attributes his success partly to being able to prepare for games without judgment from coaches or staff members—a unique aspect he finds only within Atlanta's organization.

“Other places I’ve been, I’ve been judged by that, and we’ve seen what happened,” Chavez said.

While hinting this could be his final season, if it isn’t there should be no question where he should spend its remainder according to Fried: “We went through [this year’s] camp without him but some way or another he'd find his way back to us," adding "His impact on this team and organization is really great."

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