By the time the gates at Truist Park swing open again for Game Two, dominic smith is expected to be part of a different-looking Atlanta Braves order—one shaped by matchups, a season-opening win, and a quick pivot from the lineup that started the year.
Why is Dominic Smith in the lineup for Game Two?
The Braves are moving to what was described as a more standard, righty-pitcher-facing lineup in Game Two after a 6-0 win over the Kansas City Royals in the season opener. In that setup, Mike Yastrzemski is slated to take over in left field and hit fifth, while dominic smith is set to slot in at designated hitter, hitting eighth.
The change comes as the pitching matchup shifts from the opener—when Atlanta started Chris Sale against Royals left-hander Cole Ragans—to Game Two, when the Royals are expected to start Michael Wacha and the Braves are expected to start Reynaldo Lopez. Atlanta’s first lineup leaned into a right-handed-heavy approach against Ragans, and it also left Yastrzemski out of the starting group.
What changed from the opener to Game Two at Truist Park?
Atlanta’s opening-night lineup decision drew attention because Yastrzemski—described as the external free-agent hitter the team signed who will make a big impact—sat against Ragans, a southpaw. With lineups announced Friday morning ahead of the opener, the Braves went with a group featuring six right-handed hitters (including switch hitters) to face Ragans, while Eli White started in left field and batted sixth.
The opener also carried extra weight for Atlanta beyond the novelty of the first game: the Braves entered the season looking for a cleaner start than last year’s disappointing season, when they began 0-7. This time, they opened with a three-game home series instead of a long road trip, and they paired that setting with a strong result—beating the Royals 6-0.
In Game Two, the reshuffle is not limited to Atlanta. The Royals are also switching pieces in the outfield: Kyle Isbel and Jac Caglianone are set to patrol the outfield in place of Starling Marte and Lane Thomas, who drew Opening Day starts when the Braves had a southpaw, Chris Sale, on the mound.
How much history do the hitters have against Michael Wacha and Reynaldo Lopez?
Even with the season just underway, the matchups are not entirely unfamiliar. Against Michael Wacha, the Braves lineup has 44 collective plate appearances spread across six batters. Only Ozzie Albies and Mike Yastrzemski have reached double digits in that small pool, with 11 and 10 plate appearances, respectively. In that limited sample, Austin Riley, Matt Olson, and Mauricio Dubon have hit Wacha well, while Albies and Ronald Acuña Jr. have not—each in what was described as a tiny sample.
On the other side, the Royals lineup has 42 plate appearances against Reynaldo Lopez. More than half of those belong to Salvador Perez, stemming from his long history of facing Lopez in the American League Central. Perez’s expected weighted on-base average (xwOBA) against Lopez was listed at. 380, while his actual wOBA was listed at. 290. For the rest of the Royals hitters, there were not enough plate appearances to be worth highlighting.
What is Atlanta trying to learn early, beyond the lineup cards?
Opening weekend at home is already functioning like a quick test of how the Braves intend to manage matchups and roles. The opener marked Walt Weiss’s managerial debut, with the lineup signaling he may do things differently as the new clubhouse front. The decision to sit Yastrzemski against a left-hander in Game One raised the question of how many at-bats he will get against southpaws over the season, especially since there will be other lefties ahead.
For Atlanta, the early focus is not just on who starts but also on how games are controlled late. The Braves were described as having a bolstered bullpen, meaning the question may be less about closing games and more about consistently reaching the eighth and ninth innings with a lead. And while Chris Sale took the ball for the first game, the rotation outlook was framed as less stable after him, making the first few weeks an indicator of how the team can hang with deeper lineups.
Against that backdrop, Game Two becomes more than a routine follow-up. It is the first look at how Atlanta’s order shifts when the opposing starter changes, and it is also a first chance for two new pieces—Yastrzemski and Dominic Smith—to appear in Braves uniforms in the same game as part of the plan rather than the exception.
Image caption (alt text): dominic smith prepares for his Braves debut as Atlanta reshapes its lineup for Game Two at Truist Park.
