The Braves are going back to a familiar look in the middle game against the Rays, and Drake Baldwin is right back where Atlanta has liked him best: at the top of the order.
With the series sitting at one game apiece, manager Walt Weiss is sticking with the same leadoff setup the Braves used in Philadelphia. Baldwin will lead off again while also handling DH duties, giving Atlanta a top-of-the-lineup look that has worked well for him all season.
This will be the 55th time Baldwin has hit first for the Braves, and the numbers there jump off the page. In 54 games in that spot, he’s batting .305/.390/.500 with a .388 wOBA and a 146 wRC+.
For the season overall, he’s at .276/.352/.446 with a .350 wOBA and a 121 wRC+. The split makes the fit pretty clear: Baldwin has been especially comfortable when he’s asked to set the table.
The rest of the lineup has been reshuffled around him. Michael Harris II moves from the leadoff spot on Tuesday to cleanup on Wednesday. The lower half gets some movement too, with Mike Yastrzemski sliding from eighth to sixth, Ozzie Albies dropping to seventh, Austin Riley to eighth, and Sean Murphy batting ninth as the bridge back to the top of the order.
Atlanta also gets a look at Griffin Jax, and several of these hitters have at least some familiarity there. None of them have a huge sample against him, but a few did do damage against Jax during a relief appearance in this ballpark back in 2025, so the Braves will be hoping that carries over tonight.
In Other News...
Braves Rotation Need Could Push Atlanta Toward An Intriguing Gamble
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That is why Casey Mize has surfaced as an interesting name. CBS Sports Mike Axisa floated Atlanta as a possible fit for the free-agent right-hander, whose talent has long been clear even if the consistency has not always followed. For the Braves, he represents the kind of upside play that could either deepen the rotation in a meaningful way or leave them still searching for answers later on. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Suddenly Face A Real October Rotation Dilemma
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Walt Weiss now has several arms to sort through, with Chris Sale widely viewed as the Game 1 option and Tyler Mahle emerging as a strong candidate for Game 2. Beyond those two, the Braves can mix and match with Grant Holmes, AJ Smith-Shawver, Martn Prez and Reynaldo Lpez, while leaning on a bullpen that should remain a real asset. It is a good problem in one sense, but it also leaves Atlanta with a decision that will matter a lot once the games start to count for real. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Pitching Shuffle Puts Reynaldo Lopez In A Spotlight Again
The Braves kept their pitching staff moving during their series with the Rays, selecting left-hander Bailey Falter to the major-league roster and designating right-hander Elieser Hernandez for assignment. At the same time, Reynaldo Lopez was reinstated from the injured list and is lined up to start the next game, adding another layer of importance to a rotation that has been forced to adjust on the fly.
Bryce Elder's trip to the injured list after knee surgery only deepens the uncertainty around the staff, even as Atlanta tries to keep things steady in the middle of a tight series. Lopez now gets another chance to reestablish himself in a prominent role, and the Braves will be watching closely to see how the newest version of their pitching mix holds together. [Read more 🡒]