Long Ball Being Good to Braves Early in 2026 Season

A key piece of the Atlanta Braves' identity has once again been pivotal to their success to start the 2026 season. They’re hitting home runs, and they’re hitting them often. Their 12 home runs are tied for first in the majors with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

This puts them on pace for 243 home runs over 162 games. It’s still a ways away from their record-setting 307 home runs, but it would be a 53-homer improvement from last season. That would still give them 30 more home runs than they hit in 2024.

Drake Baldwin is leading the way with three home runs, and he would have had four if he hadn’t been robbed of one just over the left-field wall by Denzel Clarke back on Wednesday.

The Braves have four players who have at least two home runs already this season. The other three, along with Baldwin, are Matt Olson, Ozzie Albies and Dominic Smith.

Olson and Albies hit back-to-back home runs Friday night in the top of the ninth to lift the Braves to a 2-0 win. Both of Albies’ home runs are his two extra-base hits on the season. Smith’s first home run of the year was one that is going to remain one of the highlights of the season. His walk-off grand slam last week made him the first in MLB history to hit a walk-off grand slam in his team debut.

There have been some usual faces on the team getting in on the action, along with an expected addition making an impact early.

While the goal wasn’t to rely on home runs as much, it can still make or break the team’s chances. In the six wins this season, they have averaged 1.6 home runs per game, while they have a single home run in each loss. Basically, it comes down to whether the team joins Drake Baldwin in getting the offense going, and that’s not a joke.

He’s the one with the two home runs in those losses. In turn, he has two of the three total runs the Braves have scored in their two losses this year. There’s a reason why manager Walt Weiss wants to see this lineup become a little more well-rounded. The home runs are great, but we see what happens when they dry up.

Right now, they’re 6-2. The home runs are coming in droves. However, if they hit a rut, it could be tough. Weiss is determined to add that extra element. We’ll likely start to see it as some key hitters in the lineup who are off to slower starts, such as Austin Riley and Ronald Acuña Jr., get into a groove.

For now, the home run reigns supreme once more. To make it clear, that’s not a bad thing, even if there is work to be done. The best lineups in the game know how to hit it out.