Scouting Report: Bryce Elder

Summary

Bryce Elder, 26-year-old Atlanta Braves right-hander, has experienced a remarkable career resurgence in 2026 after struggling in 2024-2025. Through nine starts, Elder leads the National League with a 1.81 ERA and has posted a 2.02 ERA over eight starts, ranking 8th among qualified starters. He has recorded five quality starts in eight outings with a 2.40 ERA over his last 15 starts dating back to August 2025. Elder struck out a season-high nine batters against Seattle while allowing just two hits and two runs across six innings. He has adopted a new pitching philosophy focused on keeping games close and progressing through innings, and has added an effective cutter to his arsenal. His fastball run value ranks in the 98th percentile and breaking ball run value in the 97th percentile. He is on pace for 202 innings this season, which would be a career high and break a Braves drought of over a decade without a 200-inning pitcher. Elder has only allowed three home runs this season and maintains a .180 batting average against him (5th-best in NL) with a 1.01 WHIP (8th in NL).