The Braves needed a jolt from somewhere, and they got it from two bats that have spent much of June looking stuck in neutral. On Sunday against the Rangers, Austin Riley and Drake Baldwin both broke loose with multi-homer games, giving Atlanta the kind of offensive lift that can matter a lot while the pitching staff keeps searching for answers.
That matters even more with the Braves still hanging onto their NL East lead over the Phillies. The lineup has been asked to carry extra weight lately, and Sunday’s series finale in Texas offered a glimpse of what that can look like when the middle of the order starts to wake up. Riley and Baldwin didn’t just contribute - they drove the game.
Baldwin’s stretch after returning from an oblique injury had been rough enough to raise eyebrows, but the signs were already starting to turn before the All-Star break. The hard contact was there again, and on Sunday it showed up in a big way.
Baldwin finished with his first career five-hit game, and two of those knocks left the yard as solo shots. His numbers took a clear jump with that performance, moving from a .451 slugging percentage and 122 wRC+ entering the game to .481 slugging and 132 wRC+ afterward.
Riley’s day was just as encouraging, and maybe even more familiar. He had not homered twice in a game since April 17 at Citizens Bank Ballpark, and he came into Sunday slugging only .339, which would have been a career-worst if it held.
Instead, he looked like the version Braves fans have been waiting for. One homer came on a hanging breaking ball that he drove to left field.
The other was a center-cut fastball he launched 109.4 mph over the center field wall.
He also delivered in a spot Atlanta badly needed. With the bases loaded in the seventh inning, Riley came through with a big single that added insurance runs for the bullpen. That kind of at-bat is exactly what the Braves have been hoping to see more often from him.
Ronald Acuña Jr.’s return is obviously a boost, but Sunday suggested the bigger difference-maker might be the return of Riley and Baldwin to form. With starting pitching still shaky, Atlanta’s best path in July may be to simply keep outslugging people. Sunday gave them a strong reason to believe that’s possible.
In Other News...
Braves May Finally Have The Trade Match Fans Have Waited For
The Athletics are reportedly open for business on some of their outfielders, and the timing makes the idea worth watching from Atlantas side. Oaklands goal is straightforward enough, too: it wants young starting pitching in return, which is exactly the kind of currency the Braves have been able to stockpile while trying to patch a lineup that could still use more help in the outfield.
That overlap is what makes this feel more than just another deadline rumor. Atlanta has several young arms it could put into a deal, giving the front office a rare chance to turn pitching depth into a bat without stripping the roster bare, and the As willingness to listen keeps the door open. The question now is whether the Braves are ready to make that kind of move, and which arm they would be willing to part with if they do. [Read more 🡒]
Braves May Have Found A Rotation Fix With One Major Catch
The Braves are still hunting for starting pitching help, and the market is pointing them toward a familiar kind of target: a veteran arm with a track record of taking the ball and keeping a rotation steady. In that search, one possible fit stands out because of both his consistency and his reputation as a two-time All-Star, the kind of pitcher Atlanta could use if it wants more stability behind its top options.
The catch is that any conversation around him is likely to get complicated quickly. Recent pitcher trades with similar contract structures have already shown how hard it can be for clubs to line up on value, and that same issue could make negotiations between Atlanta and Kansas City tricky. If the Braves and Royals see the package differently, the talks could stall before they really get moving, which is why Atlanta may need to keep other rotation options in play. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Suddenly Got A More Encouraging Spencer Schwellenbach Update
The Braves got a more encouraging read on Spencer Schwellenbach after earlier skepticism around the injured pitching group, and that matters because every bit of rotation help feels significant with the season moving into its final stretch. Schwellenbachs rehab has continued in Florida, and the most recent update points toward him taking a meaningful next step soon, which at least keeps the door open for a late-season boost.
For Atlanta, the appeal is obvious: if Schwellenbach can get through a rehab assignment and build back up without setbacks, he would give the club another arm to lean on behind Chris Sale. A September return is still the best-case path, so there is no reason to treat this as a sure thing yet, but the tone around Schwellenbach has shifted enough to make him one of the more interesting names to watch in the coming weeks. [Read more 🡒]