Braves honor 2021 World Series champion A.J. Minter in return to Atlanta
The Braves honored their former reliever A.J. Minter during Monday’s game against his Mets, which was the conclusion of Minter’s first series back at Truist Park as a rival.
Minter, 32, made 384 appearances for the Braves, the third most in franchise history. His eight years in Atlanta featured the highest highs and lowest lows, and the results of Minter’s perseverance made him among the more illustrious relievers the team has had.
The Braves showed a tribute video of Minter early in the game. It was a montage of his highlights capped by a “Thanks for the memories” graphic. Minter’s warm-up song “Halftime” by Homebwoi and Ying Yang Twins echoed throughout Truist Park. He stepped out of the bullpen and tipped his cap to the audience.
Minter pitched in two games this series, including leaving two runners stranded Monday. He surrendered a homer Thursday to friend and former teammate Matt Olson, who joked about the instance after the game, saying he’d wait on Minter to reach out to him since he FaceTimed Minter after the southpaw struck him out during a battle earlier this season in Queens.
Overall, Minter had a 3.28 ERA while striking out 10.9 hitters per nine innings in a Braves uniform. He was an indelible figure in The Night Shift, the famed Braves’ bullpen that helped propel the franchise to its 2021 World Series championship.
Minter had six scoreless outings in eight appearances during that run. He followed with a 2.82 ERA and 211 strikeouts against 47 walks across the next three seasons.
“Hopefully let the fans know I’m truly grateful, and we accomplished something truly special,” Minter told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution during his first spring training with the Mets in 2025. “We’ll always have that (2021 World Series title) the rest of our lives. Now it’s a new chapter, and I’m going to try to beat those guys.”
This weekend marked Minter’s first return to Truist Park, as he made only 13 appearances in his first season with New York due to injury. It was his second consecutive season cut short by an ailment, as his Braves finale ended in August due to requiring left-hip surgery. He’s in the second season of a two-year, $22 million contract.
Minter commanded the contract despite his then-injury status, thus leading him away from Atlanta, a place he’d long expressed a desire to remain in his career. He debuted during the 2017 rebuilding season that also produced Ozzie Albies and Max Fried, and he remained with the Braves through seven consecutive postseason appearances.
And while he’s an opponent now, Minter already expressed his great appreciation for the franchise that afforded him his career.
“The Atlanta Braves have done everything for me,” Minter said in spring 2025. “They took a risk on me getting drafted after Tommy John (surgery), bringing me up, going through my failures, always sticking with me. They easily could’ve traded me or DFA’d me, but they always stuck with me.
“I owe them my whole career. I owe it to the Atlanta Braves and their coaching staff and organization. There was always a part of me — I always wanted to stay a Brave and always give back to them. But at the same time, everybody says it, it’s a business.”