The Atlanta Braves have dropped the first two games of their series against the Minnesota Twins.
Now, entering Wednesday afternoon’s series finale, the Braves will try to avoid a sweep with AJ Smith-Shawver on the mound. Braves manager Walt Weiss has once again tweaked his lineup as the team looks for an offensive spark.
Braves Announce Drake Baldwin Change
In typical fashion, Weiss has once again flip-flopped catcher Drake Baldwin and outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. at the top of the order, moving Baldwin back into the No. 2 spot for Wednesday’s finale.
Baldwin served as the team’s designated hitter Tuesday night but will move back behind the plate for the series finale.
Here’s the full Braves lineup:
Via Underdog MLB: “Braves 8/19 R. Acuña Jr. RF D. Baldwin C M. Olson 1B M. Harris II CF D. Smith DH O. Albies 2B M. Yastrzemski LF A. Riley 3B J. Jarvis SS A. Smith-Shawver SP.”
Braves 8/19
R. Acuña Jr. RF
D. Baldwin C
M. Olson 1B
M. Harris II CF
D. Smith DH
O. Albies 2B
M. Yastrzemski LF
A. Riley 3B
J. Jarvis SSA. Smith-Shawver SP
— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) August 19, 2026
Baldwin’s 2026 Season
In his second MLB season, Baldwin continues to emerge as one of the best young players in the league.
He was named an All-Star for the first time and is currently batting .278 across 403 at-bats. He’s recorded 112 hits, 21 home runs and 63 RBIs while slugging .459 with a .820 OPS.
Braves Right Now
Atlanta remains in the middle of a National League playoff race while trying to hold onto its shrinking NL East lead over the Philadelphia Phillies.
The Braves enter Wednesday with a 74-52 record and just a 5.5-game lead over the Phillies. That cushion once approached nine games earlier this month.
Atlanta currently holds the No. 3 seed in the National League, sitting 1.5 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers for the No. 2 seed and one of the two first-round byes.
Atlanta Braves Announce Drake Baldwin Change During Twins Series