3 Storylines to Watch During the Giants Series in Atlanta

The San Francisco Giants and Atlanta Braves couldn't have been on more opposite ends of the spectrum this season. 2026 has seen one club sail to the top of the National League East, while the other is just searching for a life raft out West, and the waters of the Bay are choppy.

It's no secret to anyone who pays attention to Major League Baseball that the Giants (29-43) have underachieved horribly. Thought to be a potential wild card team, they are now in fourth place and practically light years away from first-place Los Angeles, at 16 games out. Meanwhile, their upcoming opponent has been frequently mentioned with those same Dodgers as one of the top teams in the National League.

The Braves (46-25) have gotten that special combination of pitching and hitting that every contender sees bloom around this time of year. They will be a tough challenge as this mid-week series opens tonight.

The Braves Can Score in Bunches

Braves All-Star — Atlanta Braves first baseman Matt Olson | Matt Marton-Imagn Images

Atlanta has an explosive offense, led in 2026 by first baseman Matt Olson, catcher Drake Baldwin, and rightfielder Ronald Acuna Jr, although the latter has been battling injuries and won't be available until the end of the month. Alongside that trio, the Braves batters currently rank fifth in MLB on home runs with 95. They are also fifth in baseball in runs scored (359).

That spells trouble for the Giants' pitching staff, because there's no way San Fran can outhit the Braves. At least not in 2026. The club is currently 22nd in runs scored with just 296. So simply, 'keeping pace' won't work for the Giants' anemic offense

Chris Sale and the Braves pitch well

The Braves staff has been outstanding, anchored by 37-year-old Chris Sale, a nine-time All-Star. He sports an 8-5 record and a 2.30 ERA, 92 strikeouts, and a 1.05 WHIP over 13 starts. The veteran southpaw should give left-side hitters like Rafael Devers and Bryce Eldridge fits. Defying his age, he has emerged as a Cy Young candidate this year and will pitch in game 2 of the series (Wednesday).

But Sale isn't the only impressive arm in Atlanta's arsenal. As a team, they are keeping up the tradition set by Glavine, Maddux, and Smoltz as they currently lead MLB with a 3.29 ERA through the first 71 games. They are second behind LA in opposing team's batting average (.221), even though they don't strike out that many hitters.

What's the Prognosis for the Giants?

Giants first baseman Rafael Devers | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

On paper, it looks like it could easily be a sweep for Atlanta. However, the Giants have had these strange stints where they rise to the occasion against better teams. Their early season success against the or biggest rivals, the Dodgers, seem unfathomable atthe time. So, this team is capable of playing to their true potantial when pressed.

If the fans are shown that kind of effort, then the Giants could grind out a series win. Especially if they get some more Herculean hitting from rookie superstar Eldridge. On the flipside, it's more likely that the Braves win two in this one, and possibly even take all three.

The Giants are already starting to 'play out the string' in mid-June, so any lackluster effort could result in a good ol' fashioned beatdown in Georgia.

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