The Atlanta Braves head into 2026 with a chip on their shoulder-and rightfully so.
Last season was supposed to be another chapter in their recent run of success. Instead, it unraveled into one of the more puzzling underperformances in baseball.
The Braves didn’t just fall short of expectations-they fell behind the Miami Marlins in the NL East standings and found themselves closer to the bottom-feeding Nationals than to a Wild Card berth. For a team built to contend, that’s a wake-up call.
The roster is still packed with talent. Atlanta has a core that, on paper, should be in the thick of the postseason conversation.
But talent alone doesn’t win games-execution does. And in 2025, the pieces didn’t click.
That makes this upcoming season feel like a make-or-break moment for a club that can’t afford to spin its wheels while its stars are in their primes.
One of the biggest questions heading into 2026? Shortstop.
It's not a new concern. Ever since Dansby Swanson left town, the Braves have been searching for stability at one of the most critical positions on the diamond. And while the rest of the roster ranges from solid to elite, shortstop remains a glaring outlier.
According to ESPN’s Bradford Doolittle, the Braves’ shortstop situation ranks 27th in MLB heading into the season-a sharp contrast to their otherwise well-rounded lineup. That’s not the kind of hole you want to carry into a season where the margin for error is razor-thin.
Atlanta made a move this offseason to address it, signing Ha-Seong Kim-a player known for his defensive versatility and solid bat. But just as the Braves were hoping to stabilize the position, Kim suffered a hand injury that’s expected to sideline him until late May or early June. That leaves Mauricio Dubon as the likely starter in the meantime.
Dubon is a serviceable utility man, but asking him to hold down shortstop every day is a tall order. It’s not an ideal fit, and even if Kim returns on schedule, the Braves could find themselves in a tough spot if the position doesn’t hold up early in the year.
The bigger issue is that help isn’t coming from within anytime soon. Atlanta’s top shortstop prospects are still developing and not close to MLB-ready. So, unless Dubon overachieves or Kim returns ahead of schedule and hits the ground running, this could be a position the Braves need to address on the trade market by midseason.
Of course, the Braves have enough firepower elsewhere to stay competitive. But we saw last year what happens when even one key piece falters-especially in a division that’s getting deeper and more dangerous.
That margin for error? It’s shrinking fast.
If Atlanta wants to get back to being the team no one wants to face in October, they’ll need more than just bounce-back years from their stars. They need to shore up the soft spots-starting with shortstop. Because in a season where every game could count, one shaky position might be the difference between a deep playoff run and another offseason full of questions.