The Atlanta Braves have been absolutely impressive so far this season. Recent power rankings have them as one of the best teams in baseball. That continued on Monday with Atlanta's impressive 9-4 win over the Nationals. It didn't come without drama, as Ronald Acuña Jr. exited the game after being hit by a pitch.
Luckily, Acuña Jr. seemed to be okay after having X-rays done. He was a big part of Atlanta's series sweep over the Phillies last weekend, and they couldn't afford to lose him. He has a shot at winning MVP again this season.
However, he's struggled a bit offensively this year with a .244 average through 23 games. No one has really noticed it, thanks to how well some of his teammates have been performing. Let's take a look at some of the most valuable players so far in 2026.
Ranking the most valuable Braves players so far in 2026
Drake Baldwin
The reigning NL Rookie of the Year has picked up right where he left off. Baldwin has a .313/.377/.510 slash line with four doubles, five home runs, 21 RBI, and an .887 OPS. His 21 RBI have him tied for the MLB lead.
Baldwin has been hitting the ball incredibly hard and seems to always find fair territory. His framing and blocking have been great behind the dish as well. It feels like Atlanta's lefty backstop is on a mission to win the NL MVP in his second season and, at this rate, it isn't outside the realm of possibility if he can keep this up.
Drake Baldwin is now 10-for-27 with runners in scoring position. Matt Chapman (11-for-21) is currently the only MLB player with more hits w/RISP pic.twitter.com/fxdqopYsoD
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) April 21, 2026
Matt Olson
Olson has looked great this year with a .278/.365/.589 with 10 doubles, six homers, 19 RBI, and an impressive .954 OPS. His 10 doubles are tied for the second-most in baseball. Atlanta's second baseman has been absolutely barreling baseballs this year, and his walk rate is extremely good at 13.1%. Olson is looking much more like his former self so far.
Robert Suarez
Adding Suarez to the bullpen was one of the best moves Alex Anthopoulos made this offseason. It is already paying dividends as he has a 0.93 ERA over 9.2 innings with one walk, 11 strikeouts, and a 0.83 WHIP. Suarez's advanced metrics are all off the charts, and he's practically unhittable right now.
Bryce Elder
Shocking as it may be, Elder has been one of the best stories of the 2026 season so far. He has been a great piece in the rotation with a 1.50 ERA over 30 innings (five starts) with nine walks, 29 strikeouts, and a 0.97 WHIP. The Nationals tagged him for a few runs on Monday, but he recovered well, and the offense bailed him out. Overall, he's doing exactly what the Braves need him to do, but it will be interesting to see if he can sustain that success.
Dominic Smith
Smith has been a surprise for fans this season, and he has come up big in so many different moments. His .345/.362/.600 slash line with two doubles, four homers, 17 RBI, and .962 OPS is not what anyone expected. At the moment, letting Marcell Ozuna go after last season has been a great decision for the Braves. Smith feels like he's always belonged on this roster.
Michael Harris II and Ozzie Albies
Albies and Harris have helped lengthen Atlanta's lineup. They aren't setting the world on fire, but they have been steady presences every day. Harris has turned it on in the last few games, and boosted his average to .288 with one double, four homers, 10 RBI, and a .799 OPS. Albies is batting .281 with three doubles, four homers, 11 RBI, and a .786 OPS. Not eye-popping numbers, but the Braves will take that performance without complaint.
These are all amazing performances, and it's still early, but it's hard not to be excited for what this Braves team can do. They are firing on all cylinders and reminding all of Major League Baseball why they shouldn't be forgotten.
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