Michael Harris II has given Atlanta exactly the kind of jolt it has needed, but the Braves can’t keep asking him to carry the offense alone.
That’s been the story so far in the postseason. Harris has been one of the club’s best hitters through five games, putting together a .400/.429/.700 line with one double, one triple, one home run, four RBI and a 1.129 OPS. Next to Ozzie Albies, he’s been one of the few steady sources of production.
It’s a familiar kind of pressure for Harris, even if he’s been better than usual at handling it. He has long battled the same offensive issues - too much chasing outside the strike zone and not enough walks - and those habits have kept him from fully tapping into superstar-level production. In 2026, though, he showed more consistency than usual and turned in his best season since 2023, finishing with a .294/.321/.491 slash line, 36 doubles, 26 home runs, 87 RBI, 23 walks, 119 strikeouts and a 121 wRC+.
The walk rate was still ugly, but the strikeout rate improved, and the biggest difference was how often he simply kept the line moving with hits. He looked more like himself.
Now the Braves need someone else to match that energy, because Harris can’t be the whole offense. Atlanta’s top of the order has not been reliable enough, and that includes Baldwin and Acuna, who still need to clean things up. But the most important answer may be Matt Olson.
Olson is supposed to be one of the lineup’s real threats, the kind of bat pitchers have to plan around. That hasn’t changed, even if the results have lagged in October. He’s been forced to see a heavy dose of elite left-handed pitching, which has made the road even harder.
During the 2026 season, Olson hit .261 with 16 homers, a .506 slugging percentage and an .824 OPS against left-handers. In the postseason, though, he’s been stuck at .158 with a .543 OPS, one homer, three RBI, two walks and seven strikeouts in 19 at-bats. Twelve of those at-bats have come against left-handed pitchers.
If Atlanta is going to have any real shot at getting past the Dodgers and into the NLCS, Olson has to rediscover that damage against southpaws. Harris has done his part. The Braves need Olson to do the same.
In Other News...
Ronald Acua Jr. Reopened Braves Drama Before A Huge Game 3
Ronald Acua Jr. added a fresh layer of intrigue around the Braves on the eve of Game 3 of the NLDS, using a Spanish-language podcast appearance to share his thoughts on the coaching staff. The comments centered on someone who is no longer with the team, and while Acua and his co-host stopped short of naming the person, the discussion was pointed enough to spark immediate speculation.
For Atlanta, the timing is what makes it stick. With a huge postseason game coming, the remarks have pulled attention back toward a familiar off-field storyline, even though the exact target of Acuas criticism still has not been confirmed. It is the kind of sidelight that can follow a team into October, especially when the baseball itself is about to matter even more. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Had To Change Their NLDS Plan Around Ronald Acua Jr
Ronald Acua Jr. was supposed to be part of the Braves Game 3 NLDS formula in the outfield, but the plan shifted as the series moved on. Lingering knee soreness from a slide in a previous game pushed Atlanta to make a late adjustment, moving Acua to designated hitter and reshaping the rest of the lineup around it.
Sean Murphy was scratched and Lane Thomas was added in right field, while the Braves kept their catching duties aligned behind Chris Sale by leaning on Drake Baldwin. Murphy still remains in the mix as a pinch-hitting option, a reminder that even in October, one nagging issue can force a team to redraw its blueprint on the fly. [Read more 🡒]
Braves-Dodgers Game 3 Just Took Two Unexpected Turns
The NL Division Series shifts to Atlanta with the stakes even again, and the broadcast booth is getting an unusual late change before first pitch. Joe Davis will not call Game 3 between the Dodgers and Braves because he lost his voice, so Kenny Albert is stepping in for the national telecast as the series heads to Tuesdays 6:00 ET matchup.
The on-field wrinkle is just as notable for a Braves team trying to seize control at home. Los Angeles is also altering its order, moving Shohei Ohtani into the fifth spot against Chris Sale, a move that adds another layer to a game already carrying plenty of pressure with the series knotted at 1-1. [Read more 🡒]