Most Atlanta Braves fans would not consider Dominic Smith to be a pillar of athleticism. The guy can definitely hit righties and send baseballs a long way when he hits them, but no one is looking for the 30-year-old Smith to win foot races or finish a triathlon, and that is okay. However, Smith's conditioning was put to the test on Wednesday against the Marlins and, surprisingly, he passed with flying colors.
The Braves were starting to pull away from Miami in the sixth inning with a 5-1 lead, but they were looking to put the nail in the Marlins' coffin when Smith came to the plate with runners on the corners. What transpired after that was a battle for the ages between Smith and Miami starterJanson Junk. After 12 pitches, Smith won the battle in emphatic fashion with a three-run homer that put the game out of reach.
Dom Smith’s incredible 12-pitch at-bat in its entirety: pic.twitter.com/bOPJNJwvSa
— BravesVision (@BravesVisionTV) May 21, 2026
However, the best was yet to come. Any at-bat that goes on that long is exhausting for both the pitcher as well as the hitter. The pitcher is obviously having to throw a bunch of pitches in a row without a break, but the hitter has to foul off a bunch of pitches in order for things to last that long. Fortunately for all of us, Smith still had enough left in the tank for a trip around the bases for the ages.
Dom Smith followed a 12-pitch at-bat with one that resulted in a Little League home run. It was perfect
There is just something about a guy who is not fleet of foot having to churn around the bases that is awesome and incredibly relatable. In Smith's next at-bat, he drove another pitch to right-center, but it did not clear the fence. Instead, what came next was a true Little League home run and (probably) a trip to the oxygen tank for Smith.
Little league home run! 💨#BravesCountry pic.twitter.com/etkWmunMpD
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) May 21, 2026
Look at the big fella! The initial ruling on the field was "simply" an error in the outfield, so Smith wasn't given a hit at all after his ponderous journey around the bases. However, it looks like that injustice was corrected, and Smith was credited with a triple and an error, which is probably fair. We would have preferred that they just let him have the inside-the-park homer, but that may be a stretch in this case (it is definitely a stretch in this case).
There was a lot to like about Wednesday's win over the Marlins. The offense looked great and, arguably more importantly, Atlanta could stay away from the better arms in their bullpen for the second time in three games. That extra rest should be very helpful for the next four games before the Braves' next day off. However, what we will all remember is Smith's night, and that is exactly the way it should be.
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