The Atlanta Braves have clinched a spot in the playoffs, winning the National League East division this year.
But Atlanta is looking for a little more than just that as the postseason gets going next week. Atlanta is still in the running for a top-two seed in the NL, but they find themselves sitting four games back as the last week of the regular season gets going.
Atlanta is coming off a three-game sweep of the Houston Astros, giving themselves some confidence coming into the final week. But this team has some work to do to prepare for the playoffs.
The Braves will now be opening up a three-game series against the Cincinnati Reds this week, starting today. This will be the final home series for Atlanta during the regular season, and the team will be looking to stack some wins before the playoffs begin.
Atlanta has a chance to take advantage of playing the Reds, whose pitching has been poor this season. But the Braves will need to take care of business, while getting some help to avoid playing in the wild-card series next week.
Matt Olson Decision Announced by Braves
Ahead of the series opener with the Reds, the Braves have announced the lineup for the contest. Within the lineup, slugger Matt Olson will be hitting third for Atlanta, playing at first base.
Braves 9/22
R. Acuña Jr. RF
D. Baldwin DH
M. Olson 1B
O. Albies 2B
M. Harris II CF
M. Dubón LF
A. Riley 3B
S. Murphy C
H. Kim SSJ. Ritchie SP
— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) September 22, 2026
Olson has been great for Atlanta this year, hitting .253 with 40 home runs and 89 RBIs, while posting an OPS of .830. His consistency in the lineup has allowed the Braves to be one of the stronger offenses in all of baseball.
Walt Weiss Leading the Charge For Braves
One reason for the Braves’ success this season has been the leadership from manager Walt Weiss. Atlanta has leaned on Weiss to navigate the long year, and it has resulted in a massive turnaround for this clubhouse.
“When I look back on it, it was too much,” Weiss said. “That’s a big part of this job is having good timing for those conversations, whether it’s individually or collectively with your group. Your timing has to be good, or the message isn’t going to hit the same.”
Multiple players have spoken highly of Weiss this year, and how he has navigated everything. Braves ace Chris Sale gave some high praise to the manager after the team clinched the NL East crown.
“(With Walt) it’s like coaching down a highway and not coaching down a hallway,” Sale said. “ He lets you get here, but it’s not a correction at every turn. If you’re getting corrected going down a hallway, it’s this, it’s that. But down the highway, you get a little bit more leniency.”
The Braves will continue to lean on Weiss’s leadership throughout the playoffs, hoping for another run at a World Series title. But for now, the focus will be on the Reds series, with the Braves trying to get hot entering the playoffs.
Braves Announce Matt Olson Move Before Reds Series