Braves vs. Dodgers: Breaking down the 2026 season series

Atlanta Braves catcher Drake Baldwin. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Braves vs. Dodgers: Breaking down the 2026 season series

By Andrew Wright | Last updated Oct 2, 2026 1:13 PM ET

Fresh off their first win in a winner-take-all game in 30 seasons, the Atlanta Braves are headed out West for an NLDS showdown with the back-to-back World Series Champion Los Angeles Dodgers.

Atlanta handled Los Angeles well in the regular season, winning five of the six games and looking very impressive in doing so. Let's dive into that regular season series and see who exactly helped each side in those six games.

What did the season series between Atlanta and Los Angeles tell us about the Braves?

Offensively for the Braves, it was catcher Drake Baldwin and outfielder Michael Harris that did excellent work against the Dodgers.

Baldwin slashed .364/.481/.727, good for an OPS of 1.209 with two doubles, two home runs, five RBI and five walks. Harris also shined, slashing .348/.375/.391 with one walk, one double, two RBI and two stolen bases.

On the mound for Atlanta, it was the ace, left-hander Chris Sale that dominated Los Angeles. Sale made two starts, posting a 1.13 ERA with 18 strikeouts across 16 innings pitched. His second start of the season against the Dodgers was a complete-game shutout in a 1-0 win.

Drake Baldwin destroys the first pitch he sees! pic.twitter.com/BahO2ZF3tT
— MLB (@MLB) August 27, 2026

CHRIS SALE WITH A COMPLETE GAME SHUTOUT AGAINST THE DODGERS pic.twitter.com/4IUTTtdjrw
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) August 28, 2026

What did the season series between Atlanta and Los Angeles tell us about the Dodgers?

The season series was a struggle for the Los Angeles offense, as it averaged just 2.5 runs per game in the six games. There still were encouraging signs, though, and things for players to feel confident about in the postseason.

Despite it being a limited sample size, both Mookie Betts and Teoscar Hernandez had success against Braves pitching. Betts and Hernandez each hit .333 in 12 at-bats, something they can build off of heading into the postseason series.

On the mound, Yoshinobu Yamamoto had one of the best starts of his season against the Braves. Despite it being in a 1-0 loss, he tossed 6 1/3 innings, allowing one run on four hits and striking out eight batters.

Mookie Betts just BLASTED his 3rd go-ahead home run of the season.

The Dodgers lead the Braves 2-1 just like that.

Mookie is off to a special start this season.
pic.twitter.com/FKgSfqDiky
— Dodgers Nation (@DodgersNation) April 2, 2025

Yoshinobu Yamamoto tonight vs the Braves:

8 K
1 BB
4 H
1 ER
1 HR
105 Pitches
20 Whiffs
6.1 Innings Pitched pic.twitter.com/4O0i4iZ5ji
— Dodgers Nation (@DodgersNation) August 28, 2026

Who has the edge in the series?

It would be tough to go against the reigning World Series champions with a fully healthy rotation and lineup, but the Braves seem to have Los Angeles' number of late.

The last time these two teams met in the postseason was in 2021 when Atlanta defeated Los Angeles, 4-2, on the way to a World Series Championship.

This series will be full of star power on both sides, and it certainly has the potential to be the best series in the Divisional Round.

Andrew Wright

Andrew "Dew" Wright graduated from Charleston Southern University with a degree in Communication Studies. He is a lifelong Chicago Cubs and Washington Commanders fan.

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