The Atlanta Braves have been cruising for much of the 2026 season, and despite missing some of their key players due to injury, this is a team with a nine game lead atop the National League East Division standings behind a 73-48 record.
As of late, the team have shown no signs of slowing down either, with decisive wins in three of their last four series, and now, they host the Arizona Diamondbacks for a three-game series over the weekend. Game one takes place on Friday night, and with the team already announcing their starters for the series, they’ve revealed the game one lineup, including another intriguing change for their star outfielder.
Ronald Acuna Jr. to DH for the Braves
GettyRonald Acuna Jr. of the Atlanta Braves.
Since returning from his injury, star outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. has once again been a critical piece of the Braves lineup, and with his consistent presence in the 2-hole for this team, they once again shape up as genuine World Series threats in the National League.
However, given the nature of his injury, the team haven’t been pushing him too hard in the outfield, as Acuna has split time between right field and Designated Hitter since returning, and ahead of the series opener against Arizona, he’s been named as the DH in the two-spot in the order.
Across 11 games in the month of August thus far, Acuna Jr. has been one of the Braves best contributors, hitting .267 with an .868 OPS to go along with four home runs and seven RBI, and given the stars around him in the lineup, it’s been no shock that they continue rolling atop the NL East standings. Clearly, keeping Acuna Jr. healthy and thriving is critical to the Braves potential success this season, so rotating him between RF and DH is something they will need to continue doing if they want him at his best when the post-season rolls around.
Can the Braves be World Series Threats in 2026?
The Braves may be atop the NL East standings, but the National League certainly isn’t a cake walk, and with both the Los Angeles Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers dominating, opposing teams are going to have to be very good if they wish to knock one of those two teams off their perch atop the League.
When healthy, the Braves have the lineup to matchup with anyone, with the likes of Austin Riley, Drake Baldwin and Matt Olson presenting major threats around Acuna Jr., who appears to be circling his best play at the most important time of the year.
Time will tell if the Braves can be healthy when October rolls around, but if Acuna Jr. is at 100% with a good pitching staff and a great lineup, the Braves are a team that clearly have the potential to knock off anyone in baseball when it matters most.
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