Remember when the first couple of weeks in the Atlanta Braves‘ 2026 season felt like they were littered with Dominic Smith’s memorable moments? Well, he’s fallen back down to earth over the past couple of months, and if the Braves are going to make any sort of big trades for impact pacts, Dom Smith may be the first position player to get the axe on the roster.
Dom Smith is an easy guy to root for, and he quickly became a fan favorite in Atlanta after signing a minor league deal and breaking spring camp with the big league club. But all good things usually come to an end, and Dom Smith’s ‘good things’ don’t last as long as those of other MLB players. A recent prediction has the Braves cutting ties with Smith, and there’s a right reason for it.
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Dom Smith’s Last 2 Months At the Plate Are Hard to Ignore
GettyATLANTA, GEORGIA – JUNE 7: Dominic Smith #8 reacts as Jorge Mateo #2 of the Atlanta Braves slides in to score during the seventh inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Truist Park on June 7, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
There were a lot of reactions across the Braves’ fan base on Sunday when Dom Smith was unable to come through with what would have been a miraculous hit and a miraculous comeback.
@ByJasonFoster wrote (on 7/6):
“The Dom Smith revival has fallen off a cliff. Since having a surprisingly good .861 OPS through May 21, he’s now hitting .191 with a .499 OPS since then. The underlying metrics aren’t good either: a 28.9% hard-hit rate and 85.3 mph average exit velo in his past 106 PAs.”
HouseThatHankBuilt.com’s writer Chase Owens then reiterated that Dom Smith’s struggles have been brutal lately:
“Dominic Smith’s brilliant start to the 2026 season coincided with a lot of wins for the Atlanta Braves. Unfortunately, as Smith has begun to struggle, so have the Braves. Since June 1, Smith has a .176/.244/.250 slash line, and 36 wRC+, a steep decline from the man who came up clutch frequently during the season’s first couple of months.”
That is a rough slash line, and as a result, the Braves need to find some sort of answer at the DH position instead of Dom Smith. One potential option is to utilize Joey Bart/Drake Baldwin as the DH tandem, which could push Dom Smith out of the fold.
The good news is that Dom Smith isn’t on a lucrative deal, so Atlanta could really just designate him for assignment, and then determine if they want to stock him in the minors or trade him. And yes, a trade is very plausible, but Dom Smith might need to show a little surge in his bat, because the recent slump will certainly scare teams off.
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Dom Smith’s MLB Career
MIAMI, FLORIDA – MAY 20: Dominic Smith of the Atlanta Braves hits a three run home run during the sixth inning against the Miami Marlins at loanDepot park on May 20, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
Dom Smith has played 74 games with the Braves this season. His bWAR is 0.1 over 198 at-bats.
Over his 10-year MLB career, Smith has batted .252 with 75 home runs, 139 doubles, and an OPS+ of 98. His 98 lifetime OPS+ is ironic because that’s his exact mark with the Braves so far.
On top of his 0.1 bWAR, Dominic Smith is batting .273 this season with six home runs, six doubles, 35 RBI, and 13 walks.
Braves fans, should the team cut ties with Dom Smith in some way after his recent slump?
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Atlanta Braves Predicted to Cut Ties with Dom Smith