2026 Braves Lineup: The Post-Deadline Edition
Updated August 6, 2026 · Tap any position on the diamond or any player card to learn more
The 2026 Atlanta Braves have turned last year's disappointment into a runaway. Atlanta reached the trade deadline sitting on top of the NL East with roughly an eight game cushion, and the front office spent deadline week reshaping the edges of the roster rather than blowing anything up. Lane Thomas arrived to balance the outfield, Ha-Seong Kim and Sean Murphy came off the injured list the same night, and rookie shortstop Jim Jarvis has quietly become one of the better stories of the season. Walt Weiss keeps mixing and matching, with Drake Baldwin settling in as a regular leadoff hitter and Ronald Acuña Jr. bouncing between right field and DH. Below is the full cast of position players who make up the current lineup, with interactive scouting profiles for each.
★ = new trade deadline addition | Tap a position to jump to that player
Ronald Acuña Jr.
#13 · Bats R / Throws RThe generational talent remains the tone-setter at the top of the order. Weiss now splits him between right field and DH to keep the legs fresh for the stretch run, and he changes the math for the whole lineup either way.
Ronald Acuña Jr.
- Former MVP and the only player in MLB history with a 40 homer, 70 steal season
- Weathered a short IL stint earlier this year; the plan since has leaned on DH days to protect him
- Most often bats second behind Drake Baldwin in the current order
- Still one of the best pure athletes in all of professional sports
Matt Olson
#28 · Bats L / Throws RThe Gold Glove first baseman and lineup anchor. Olson's left-handed pop and plate discipline have been the steady engine of Atlanta's offense all season, hitting third nearly every night.
Matt Olson
- Hit 54 home runs during his monster 2023 campaign, Atlanta's franchise single-season record
- Elite defender at first base with outstanding scooping and pick-throw awareness
- The most durable everyday presence in the order in 2026
- Signed through 2030, the cornerstone of the Braves' long-term lineup construction
Austin Riley
#27 · Bats R / Throws RRiley remains the everyday third baseman, though Weiss has recently dropped him toward the bottom third of the order while he works back to his usual damage. When his swing clicks, this lineup gains a whole extra gear.
Austin Riley
- All-Star in 2022 and 2023 and one of the game's most consistent run producers across the last five years
- Has appeared as low as eighth in recent lineup cards, a spot few expected before the season
- A true middle-of-the-order bat who can carry a lineup for stretches at a time
- Locked up long-term, signed through 2033 on a $212M deal
Ozzie Albies
#1 · Switch Hitter / Throws RThe switch-hitting sparkplug. Albies brings energy, defensive range, and surprising pop from both sides of the plate. A fan favorite since his debut and the emotional pulse of the infield.
Ozzie Albies
- Two-time All-Star and World Series champion, integral to every deep Braves run
- Has hit 30+ home runs in a season despite standing 5'8"; electric bat speed from both sides
- One of the most team-friendly contracts in baseball history
- Usually bats fifth in the current order, bridging the boppers and the bottom third
Michael Harris II
#23 · Bats L / Throws LThe NL Rookie of the Year in 2022 still covers center field with breathtaking range, and in 2026 the bat has caught up. Weiss now trusts him enough to hit cleanup behind Olson most nights.
Michael Harris II
- Won NL Rookie of the Year in 2022, one of the most exciting debuts in Braves history
- Gold Glove-caliber center fielder who makes highlight-reel catches look routine
- Signed a long-term extension, locking him in as the CF of the future
- Has hit fourth in most recent lineup cards, the biggest promotion of his career
Jim Jarvis / Dubón / Kim
#74 Jarvis · A three-man carousel down the stretchRookie Jim Jarvis grabbed the shortstop job after his May call-up and never let go, with Mauricio Dubón mixing in regularly. Ha-Seong Kim, back from a torn finger tendon, now has to earn his way past both of them after a rough start to the year.
SS: Jarvis, Dubón, Kim
- Jarvis: Debuted May 6 and has hit around .253 as a rookie while playing a steady shortstop
- Dubón: The ultimate glue piece, starting at SS, LF, and elsewhere depending on the day's card
- Kim: Activated August 3 after batting just .068 in 27 games before the finger injury
- Jorge Mateo was designated for assignment to make room for Kim's return
Drake Baldwin / Sean Murphy
Murphy activated August 3 as the backupBaldwin has owned the position all year and grown into the team's regular leadoff hitter, catching or DHing nearly every day. Murphy is finally healthy again after a second IL stint and gives Atlanta a two-time All-Star as its backup, a luxury almost no other contender has.
Catching Corps
- Baldwin: 2025 NL Rookie of the Year, now hitting leadoff most nights and DHing when Murphy catches
- Murphy: Two-time All-Star whose first return in May lasted only four games; activated again on August 3
- Jonah Heim was traded to the Athletics in May when Murphy first came off the IL
- Joey Bart, who bridged the gap this summer, went to the White Sox at the deadline for pitching prospect Duncan Davitt
Lane Thomas / Mike Yastrzemski
Thomas: new arrival · Yaz #16 · Also: DubónThe deadline addition of Lane Thomas gives Weiss the right-handed outfield bat this roster lacked all year. Thomas punishes left-handed pitching, Yastrzemski handles the heavier share against righties, and Dubón still cycles through when the matchup calls for it.
Left Field Mix
- Thomas: Acquired ahead of the deadline as a platoon outfielder; hits lefties well above average
- Yastrzemski: Carl Yastrzemski's grandson, the primary option against right-handed pitching all season
- Dubón: Continues to see left field starts when he isn't covering shortstop
- Eli White, the previous right-handed outfield piece, was traded to Boston for pitching prospect Tyler Uberstine
The Flex Spots
Baldwin, Acuña, Smith, Farmer · RotationWeiss rotates the DH spot freely, and lately it doubles as a rest day for the stars. Baldwin DHs when Murphy catches, Acuña DHs to save his legs, and Dominic Smith still draws starts against righties. That flexibility keeps the whole lineup fresh for October.
DH Rotation & Bench
- Dom Smith: Left-handed bat who has handled DH duty against righties and can spell Olson at 1B
- Kyle Farmer: Atlanta native, UGA product; can cover every infield spot plus emergency catcher
- Ha-Seong Kim: Now functions as premium middle-infield depth while he rebuilds his swing
- Sean Murphy: Gives Weiss a legitimate right-handed bat off the bench on Baldwin's catching days
Build Your Braves Lineup for Any Date
Think you can set a better card than Walt Weiss? Pick a date, fill in your preferred nine from the current roster, then share your lineup on social media. Once your card is full, you can even pull up the real lineup MLB posted for that date and see how close you came.
Your Lineup Card
What Changed at the Trade Deadline
Alex Anthopoulos treated the deadline as a chance to deepen a first-place roster rather than gut the farm for a headline. Outfielder Lane Thomas came aboard to give the lineup its missing right-handed punch, Tyler Mahle arrived from San Francisco to stabilize the back of the rotation, and lefty Brent Suter joined the bullpen. Going the other way, catcher Joey Bart went to the White Sox for pitching prospect Duncan Davitt and Eli White went to Boston for pitching prospect Tyler Uberstine, with Jorge Mateo designated for assignment in a corresponding move.
The one thing Atlanta did not do was land a frontline starter, and that decision will hang over the rest of the season. The big prospects stayed put, which means the October rotation will be built from the arms already in the building plus Mahle. On the position player side, though, the deadline doubled as a health windfall: Ha-Seong Kim and Sean Murphy were both activated from the injured list the same night the moves became official, instantly turning two roster holes into two of the deepest spots on the team.
How Walt Weiss Builds the Lineup
In his first season managing the Braves, Weiss has settled into a recognizable pattern with plenty of room for daily wrinkles. Drake Baldwin leads off nearly every game, either behind the plate or at DH. Acuña bats second, Olson third, and Harris has earned the cleanup spot behind him, with Albies fifth. That top five has been remarkably stable through the summer.
The bottom third is where the shuffling happens. Dubón floats between shortstop and left field depending on whether Jarvis is starting. Thomas and Yastrzemski split the corner outfield work by matchup, with Thomas getting the calls against lefties and a growing share against righties too. And in one of the stranger sights of the season, Austin Riley has settled into the eighth spot in several recent cards, with Murphy or Jarvis hitting ninth behind him. It says less about Riley and more about how deep this batting order has become.
The Shortstop Carousel
Nobody predicted this one in March. Kim was the marquee offseason signing at shortstop, but a torn tendon in his right middle finger cost him most of the first half, and he hit just .068 across 27 games around the injury. In his absence, Dubón held the fort, Mateo got a look, and then rookie Jim Jarvis arrived in early May and simply out-played everyone. Jarvis has hovered around .253 with steady defense, which is more than enough for the ninth spot in a lineup this loaded.
Now Kim is back and the pecking order is genuinely unsettled. Weiss has kept riding the hot hands, starting Dubón and Jarvis while easing Kim in. If Kim rediscovers the form that made him one of the best defensive shortstops in the game, the Braves suddenly have three legitimate options at a position that was a question mark a year ago. If he doesn't, they've already proven they can win without him.
Looking Ahead to the Stretch Run
With a comfortable NL East lead and the deepest position group they've had in years, the Braves' September will be about health, rest, and sorting the October roles. The rotation question that went unanswered at the deadline is the one real cloud, and it puts even more pressure on this lineup to keep scoring. The combination of Baldwin's on-base skills, Acuña's speed, the Olson and Harris power tandem, and a bench that now includes Murphy, Kim, Smith, and Farmer gives Atlanta a lineup that can beat you in more ways than any card Weiss ran out in April. The pieces are here. Now they just have to stay on the field.