Is Anthony Molina an interesting reliever?

TL;DR

Anthony Molina, a reliever for the Colorado Rockies, has a 96-97 MPH fastball and decent curveball but struggles with strikeouts and ERA. He may become a useful asset for the Atlanta Braves with two option years remaining.

Key points

Anthony Molina pitched in the Colorado Rockies organization
He has a 15% career strikeout rate and a 6.82 ERA
Molina throws a 96-97 MPH fastball and a decent curveball
The Braves have adjusted his pitch usage
He has two option years remaining

Anthony MolinaColorado RockiesAtlanta Braves

DENVER, CO - AUGUST 19: Anthony Molina #43 of the Colorado Rockies reacts during the game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on Tuesday, August 19, 2025 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Geneva Heffernan/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images I didn’t really know (or care to know) anything about Anthony Molina before this week. The only really notable thing about him is that he pitched in the Colorado Rockies organization. The Braves have a thing for Rockies relievers. He doesn’t really strikeout anybody (career 15% K rate), had a 6.82 career ERA, and didn’t do anything particularly interesting in Gwinnett this year. But Molina has a 96-97 MPH fastball and a decent curveball. He might become a useful guy for Atlanta. And with 2 option years, we might be seeing more of him.

Molina’s pitch usage was all over the place with the Rockies. The slider was working for him, but the Braves have culled his pitches and made him into a fastball-curveball guy with a changeup to lefties. The curveball has an okay shape, and he was getting 26% putaways with it in 2024 before he shelved it for the slider. It was hard to tell how much drop he can really get on it on Friday. You could tell that the gameplan was to not hang anything, so he was spiking it into the ground. His breaking stuff is playable and the fastball is hot. But he has a similar problem to a lot of marginal relievers in that he can’t locate the fastball. For example, how useful would a healthy Daysbel Hernandez be right now if he could actually throw strikes? So is Anthony Molina an interesting reliever? He’s done enough to warrant some attention. I’m looking forward to another former Rockies reliever success story.

Q&A

What are Anthony Molina's career statistics in MLB?

Anthony Molina has a career 15% strikeout rate and a 6.82 ERA.

How has the Atlanta Braves adjusted Anthony Molina's pitching style?

The Braves have focused Molina's pitch usage on a fastball-curveball combination, reducing his reliance on the slider.

What potential does Anthony Molina have as a reliever for the Braves?

Molina has shown enough promise with his fastball and curveball to warrant attention, especially with two option years left.