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Do the Atlanta Braves Have Too Much Depth?

May 5, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Atlanta Braves shortstop Mauricio Dubón (14) talks with shortstop Jorge Mateo (2) during the middle of the ninth inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

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Do the Atlanta Braves Have Too Much Depth?

Originally posted on The Lead | By Andrew Graham | Last updated May 24, 2026 3:03 PM ET

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In 2025, the Atlanta Braves snapped a seven-year playoff streak that started in 2018.

Atlanta won just 76 games, their lowest win total since 2017. Coming off such a disastrous season, many expected Braves General Manager Alex Anthopoulos to make big moves in the offseason.

Instead of making big moves, Atlanta settled for under-the-radar acquisitions instead.

The Braves traded SS Nick Allen to the Astros for UTL Mauricio Dubón. They also signed OF Mike Yastrzemski, DH/1B Dominic Smith and SS Jorge Mateo in free agency.

These aren’t splash moves by any means. They didn’t generate many headlines or create major buzz. Anthopoulos prioritized bench depth, and now the Braves have plenty of it.

In fact, with how things are shaping up so far this season, it appears Atlanta actually might have too much depth.

The Braves’ Sacrificial Lambs

Unfortunately, only nine players can be in the lineup at a time. Like every team, the Braves have their everyday players who will be out there unless they are injured. However, others are not afforded the luxury of playing every day.

This season, the Braves have gotten elite production from Smith. He’s slashing .327/.350/.518 with a 142 OPS+. Despite his production, Smith has only started in 22 games this season. The reason? Atlanta let former DH Marcell Ozuna walk in free agency due to Drake Baldwin. They wanted the catcher to also get time as a DH. As a result, Baldwin appeared in every game either as a catcher or a Designated Hitter up until his injury.

Ready When Called Upon

As for Smith, because Matt Olson is the everyday 1B and Baldwin is the DH on days he doesn’t catch, he’s had to come off the bench late in games as a pinch hitter.

He isn’t the only one who’s had to sacrifice playing time. Shortstop Ha-Seong Kim returned from his rehab assignment on May 12. Since his return, Mateo has only appeared as a batter twice. This is despite his .807 OPS across 59 at-bats this season.

Dubón is the only one who hasn’t seen a dip in playing time. At the start of the season, he and Mateo shared the SS duties with Kim on the injured list. However, a quad injury to Michael Harris II left him unable to play CF daily. While he was able to pinch-hit and DH, Harris couldn’t play CF every day while he dealt with the hamstring.

The solution was for Dubón to play CF for the time being. Since Harris has returned to the field, Dubon has transitioned to LF, where he has appeared in 12 of his last 14 games.

Understanding Their Role

The thing is, a lot of the players Atlanta signed this offseason are playing different roles than they were supposed to. Naturally, injuries to key players have done that for the Braves. Yastrzemski was signed as a platoon bat, but the suspension of Jurickson Profar for the entire season forced him to play a lot more.

Eventually, Dubón would join him in LF while Mateo got more time at SS. Mateo was signed to be a pinch runner with his 100th percentile sprint speed. He has transitioned back to that role with Kim returning to the lineup.

The depth Atlanta has created has allowed the team to overcome injuries, but when everyone is healthy, guys who were playing well are forced out of the lineup.

Nobody on the team has made a bigger sacrifice than Kyle Farmer. The veteran infielder appeared in 616 games from 2021 to 2025. This season, Farmer has played sparingly with only 14 plate appearances across 10 games this season. He recently went on the 10-day IL for a forearm injury even though Farmer only has two at bats since May 1.

The #Braves today reinstated OF Ronald Acuña Jr. from the injured list and placed INF Kyle Farmer on the 10-day injured list, backdated to May 16, with a strained right forearm.

— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) May 18, 2026

Multiple players have described how fun the clubhouse has been this season and how each player is performing when they are called upon to do so. Even though some players have seen limited playing time, the depth the Braves has helped them get through an injury-riddled season.

This article first appeared on The Lead and was syndicated with permission.

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