The Atlanta Braves have a rich history of winning Louisville Slugger Silver Slugger Awards. In fact, in the five decades of the award, the Braves have taken home the third-most of any other team, behind only the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox.
After winning another division, and having star players still locked up, the team's propensity to win the most prestigious positional hitter award looks like it's not coming to an end soon. With this in mind, we wanted to look into the future and predict which Braves sluggers will take home the next Silver Slugger at each position.
Which Braves hitter will win the next Silver Slugger at each position
Catcher: Drake Baldwin
This one is one of the easier picks. Although Baldwin might not win it this year, with Diamondbacks catcher Gabriel Moreno putting together an impressive season, the 2025 NL Rookie of the Year has continued his success from last season, hitting 24 homers with the second-highest wRC+ among NL catchers.
If not this year, Baldwin's very likely to win a Silver Slugger in the next few years.
First Base: Matt Olson
Olson has already won one Silver Slugger with the Braves, and it would not be shocking if he won another this season in 2026. Although his overall slash line is a little worse than we've come to expect from the team's first baseman, he does lead all NL first basemen in fWAR and home runs. With there not being a clear cut favorite for the award this year, the power might be the deciding factor, and if Olson doesn't take it home this year, he'll still have at least three more seasons in a Braves uniform to win it again.
Second Base: Tate Southisene
Although we've become acustom to seeing Ozzie Albies occupy the Braves second base slot, his time with the Braves may be coming to a close soon. With just one more team option remaining, and with a declining bat that has been below average in each of the last three seasons, Albies isn't likely to win another Silver Slugger.
Instead, the next Braves second baseman to win a Silver Slugger will likely be a prospect already in the organization. Tate Southisense, the club's first round pick in the 2025 draft, shot through the minors this year, reaching Double-A at 19 before an errant pitch prematurely ended his season.
Still, the middle infielder had an .875 OPS through three levels of the minors. If this success continues, it won't be surprising if he wins a Silver Slugger in the majors.
Third Base: Austin Riley
Austin Riley, like Albies, has seen his once impressive bat lag in recent seasons. Unlike Albies, however, the Braves third baseman is still under contract for at least another six seasons. Riley has also dealt with numerous injuries since 2024, so fans have to wonder if Riley ever fully healed the abdominal injury that ended his 2025 season.
Between the success of the past and the longevity of the deal means Riley is still the most likely next Braves third baseman to win a Silver Slugger next.
Shortstop: John Gil
While the Braves have a few shortstop prospects who could rise up and become the shortstop of the future, including Southisene and Alex Lodise, the more likely next Braves receipient of the shortstop Silver Slugger is likely John Gil.
This season, Gil played 130 games between High-A and Double-A, slashed .262/.357/.392, and only improved as he ascended the minor league ladder. Gil doubled his previous high in homers, while also swiping 60 bags.
Left Field: Eric Hartman
Eric Hartman skyrocketed through up the prospect rankings this season. The 20-year-old made headlines in High-A, where he slashed .73/.364/.525 in 94 games before being promoted to Double-A. The combination between speed and power had Braves fans reminiscing to a decade ago, when a young prospect named Ronald Acuña Jr. made a similar rise to the bigs.
Hartman did struggle in Double-A, but if he's able to make the adjustments he made in High-A, then there is a good possibly he becomes the first Braves left fielder to win a Silver Slugger since Justin Upton won the award in 2014.
Center Field: Michael Harris II
After slumping for much of 2025, Michael Harris II rebound in 2026 has renew hopes that one day he will win a Silver Slugger. Although Harris has been a top-three hitting center fielder this season, he's unfortunately been upstaged in a major way by MVP front-runner Pete Crow-Armstrong. It's not hard to imagine that in the coming years, Harris puts together a season worthy of the award.
Right Field: Ronald Acuña Jr.
Everyone knows that if Ronald Acuña Jr. can stay healthy for a full season, he can be one of the greatest hitters in baseball. Although Acuña struggled for part of the 2026 season, his September performance is a reminder that opposing teams cannot let the 2023 NL MVP get hot.
As long as Acuña can put up another healthy season over the next two seasons, he'll take home his fourth Silver Slugger.
Designated Hitter: Drake Baldwin
Okay, so this one might be a bit of a stretch, but it's not completely out of the realm of possibly. Considering that Baldwin still has four more years of team control, and considering is signed through 2029, there's a chance the Braves simply use Baldwin as a full-time DH in one of these seasons.
Since August 5, when Murphy returned from the IL, Baldwin has started at DH in 24 of his 43 games. Between the strenuous nature of catching and Baldwin's value at the plate, there's a possibility the Braves simply move him to DH in a semi-permanent role one year, and he simply outslugs the lead.
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