When the Atlanta Braves walked off the Dodgers on Wednesday night to take the season series, it was thanks to the unlikeliest of heroes. Ha-Seong Kim, who has been one of the worst hitters in MLB history, came through when he delivered the go-ahead RBI single in the ninth.
It was certainly one of the most unexpected moments of the 2026 Braves season, and one of the most unexpected walk-offs by the Braves in the last 20 years. With Kim's clutch hit fresh in our minds, we wanted to where it would rank in the most unexpected walk-offs since 2006.
Ranking the most unexpected walk-offs by Braves players since 2006
6. May 28, 2018 - Charlie Culberson hits first homer in two seasons to walk off the Mets
It might be hard to remember, but Charlie Culberson wasn't always "Charlie Clutch" with the Braves. In fact, heading into the first game of a doubleheader against the New York Mets on May 28, 2018, Culberson had been quite bad.
The utility player had slashed .204/.271/.296 with no homers and just two runs batted in. When he came in to pinch-hit in the bottom of the ninth with the Braves down two and one out, Atlanta had already used their top two pinch-hitting options in Ryan Flaherty and Kurt Suzuki. With Ronald Acuña Jr. on the shelf, Culberson was the only player left on the Braves bench.
Additionally, Culberson hadn't hit an MLB home run since September of 2016, two seasons earlier. So, when he took a 90 MPH slider 411 feet to left-center, turning a one-run deficit into a victory, it was certainly a welcomed shock for Braves fans. Of course, when he followed it the very next week with another walk-off homer, Braves fans started to associate the utility player with clutch moments.
5. May 22, 2026 - Chadwick Tromp wins the game
Chadwick Tromp's walk-off earlier this season was unexpected in several ways. Tromp hadn't started the game, only entered in the seventh inning after Walt Weiss had pinch-hit for Sandy León, and had already come through in the bottom of the 10th inning by hitting a RBI single.
When Tromp came up in the 11th, Braves fans were hesitant to believe the that fourth-string catcher forced could come through in the clutch twice in one game. Tromp, to his credit, rose to the moment, taking a 2-2 fastball up the middle that scored Eli White to end the game.
4. July 4, 2021 - Max Fried comes off the bench to save the day
If Braves fans had to pick any Braves pitcher from the last 20 years to take an at bat with the game on the line, almost every single one of them would pick Max Fried. Thankfully, for Brian Snitker, that's just who he had available on July 4, 2021.
After the Braves rallied from down four in the ninth, they came up in the 10th with a chance to win the game. The Marlins intentionally walked Dansby Swanson to start the inning, the got Guillermo Heredia to fly out. The Marlins then intentionally walked Orlando Arcia, and after Austin Riley was thrown out on a bang-bang play at the plate, the Marlins also decided to intentionally walk Kevan Smith and his .509 OPS to face Fried, who had a .649 OPS.
The Braves had run out of position players by the 10th inning, but Fried's bat would eventually win him the last Silver Slugger given out to a pitcher. On a 3-1 count, Fried got aggressive, swung the bat, and lined a single into center to give the Braves the win.
Let Fried-dom ring!#ForTheA | #4thofJuly pic.twitter.com/Y13R1DO2rU
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) July 4, 2021
3. May 20, 2010 - Brooks Conrad's walk-off grand slam
Brooks Conrad had already hit a grand slam in 2010 coming into this May 20 game against the Reds, and had hit decently as a pinch-hitter up to that point. But the Braves had started the inning down six runs, and had even swapped out Chipper Jones's spot in the lineup in a double-switch to begin the ninth. In other words, even Bobby Cox didn't think that spot in the lineup would hit again. Instead, the Braves hit four straight singles, took a walk, and scored a run an error before Jason Heyward struck out for the first out of the inning.
With one out and the bases loaded, the Braves were still down three, and Cox went to the final man on the bench, Brooks Conrad to hit for the pitcher who was in Jones's original spot in the lineup. Francisco Cordero threw a 97 MPH fastball that Conrad took the other way, just managing to sneak the ball over Laynce Nix's glove.
Conrad couldn't believe it either, initially thinking the ball had been caught, before sprinting around the bases in what might be one of the most iconic walk-offs by a Braves hitter in the last 20 years.
2. July 26, 2011 - Scott Proctor ends the 19 inning marathon
By the 19th inning, the Braves were long out of bench options. Cristhian Martinez had a hit and two sacrifice bunts as a reliever who didn't even come into the game until the 11th inning. Scott Proctor himself had already taken an at bat.
With one out in the bottom of the 19th, Julio Lugo had taken a walk, and move to third on a single, bringing up Proctor again, who had only hit three times in his entire seven year career coming into this game.
Proctor hit a grounder to the third baseman, who threw it home to get Lugo by a mile. However, the home plate umpire, Jerry Meals, ruled that the catcher Michael McHenry had missed the tag, giving the Braves the win. This play has gone down as one of the most controversial calls in the 21st century.
Somehow, Proctor's heroics are still less surprising than Ha-Seong Kim's, however.
1. August 26, 2026 - Ha-Seong Kim gets his first hit in nearly three months
For most of Braves country, Kim still being on the roster was a baffling decision. The shortstop, who had signed for $20 million, had hit like one of the worst hitters in MLB history. In the age of the universal DH, the Braves usually wouldn't even need a pinch hitter, but since they had pinch-run for catcher Sean Murphy, they had to forfeit the DH spot to bring in Drake Baldwin.
When the pitcher's spot in the lineup came up in the bottom of the ninth and two outs, Walt Weiss had two options to face lefty closer Tanner Scott: lefty Dominic Smith or righty Ha-Seong Kim.
Kim hadn't had a hit since June 3, and had gone 1-45 over his last 22 games dating back to May 24 (.145 OPS). In a way, this felt like Kim's final shot at proving he belonged on a big league roster, and after working a full count and fouling off a few tough pitches, Kim lined a single into left to give the Braves a huge win over the rival Los Angeles Dodgers.
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