Deservedly, Ronald Acuña Jr. is getting all the headlines thanks to his recent hot streak. It's hard for a guy with a 1.129 OPS over his last 21 games not to be the focus. However, the Atlanta Braves right fielder isn't the only star that is heating up at the right time.
The Braves' magic number to clinch the NL East stands at one entering Sunday, and the way they have won has been very copy+paste in September. While the Braves have struggled to score off opposing starting pitchers, they have a knack for getting runs off opposing bullpens.
Specifically, the top of their order is doing most of the damage, and this recent stretch could give us a blueprint for how Atlanta can find success in October. Thanks to Ronald's torrid home run pace, we know how hot he's been. However, Matt Olson and Drake Baldwin are heating up as well, and that is a major key to postseason success.
This is 4️⃣0️⃣#BravesCountry pic.twitter.com/C1S0ELSasR
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) September 19, 2026
Matt Olson and Drake Baldwin are heating up and the Braves need that to carry into October
Atlanta's first baseman made history on Friday night when he became the fifth Brave to record multiple 40-homer seasons in a Braves uniform. History aside, Olson has rebounded well after an August slump. In his last seven games, Olson has slashed .367/.387/.567 and surpassed 4.0 fWAR for the season.
Matt Olson heaters can carry an offense, and if the hard-hit batted ball events continue to stack up, he can slug the Braves to a deep October run. Meanwhile, Atlanta's other important offensive star is beginning to pick it up as well.
Drake Baldwin's season numbers look very similar to his Rookie of the Year campaign in 2025, but the exciting part is that we get to see how the young backstop plays in pressure packed postseason games this fall. The splendid news is that it appears Baldwin will enter postseason play in good form.
Over Baldwin's last 15 games, the 25-year-old slugger has slashed .328/.362/.500 to spur some late-game offense. Baldwin has returned to form after an abbreviated June slump, something only a few in the Braves lineup can say. He's notched just two homers over his past 15 games, but that comes with the caveat that he has several doubles that were nearly over the outfield wall, showcasing that his power is fully back.
As we know, homers dictate so much in postseason baseball, and the Braves have three key hitters doing a lot of damage right now. The performances of Acuña Jr., Olson, and Baldwin may very well be THE single most important factor for advancing in the playoffs. The great news is that Atlanta finally seems to have all three clicking at exactly the right time.
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