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If you do it once, it’s a fun (and in this particular case, heartwarming) story that we get to enjoy in the moment before moving on to the next thing. If you do it twice, then we’ve gotta talk about it. That’s what Dominic Smith has forced us to do after he did the daggone thing once again.

The Braves mounted a furious comeback in the bottom of the eighth at Truist Park in order to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. It’s a familiar scenario that we’ve seen play out a bunch of times in the past but now we’re all getting used to a new face doing the damage instead of one of the core group of Braves players that’s usually doing the damage. Dominic Smith has already written two exciting pages of the book that is the 2026 Braves season as he followed up his walk-off grand slam on March 28 with a bases-clearing opposite-field gapper with two outs in order to turn what was shaping up to be a disappointing series loss to the Marlins into a big-time turnaround.

It’d be one thing if it was just those two moments for Dominic Smith so far. That’d be cool but I’d imagine that folks would want more production in-between those two bits of brilliance at the plate. As it turns out, Smith has been delivering on a consistent basis here in the early goings for the Braves. He’s currently sporting a .395/.415/684 slash line with a .474 wOBA, .289 Isolated Power, three homers and 201 wRC+. While he’s likely going to cool down at some point, that’s some mighty-fine production through 41 plate appearances and 14 games!

The obvious hope is that once he does cool down, the plate production will be enough to where he’ll be able to deliver some solid production as one of the main designated hitters for the Braves. If his production last season across 63 games for the San Francisco Giants is any indication, he could very well be in line for a solid season. He hit .284/.333/.417 with a .325 wOBA (outperforming his xwOBA of .306) with five homers and 111 wRC+ across 225 plate appearances. For that to be happening in San Francisco, that’s not bad at all! So far, he’s managed to build upon that and get off to a scalding-hot start in a better environment for hitting here in Cobb County.

As it turns out, Dominic Smith has been making very good use of his time in both San Francisco and Atlanta by utilizing the resources that’s available to him in both locations — and by “resources,” I mean the former legends who used to ply their craft both here and there.

During his appearance in front of the media following Tuesday night’s game, Smith mentioned that he had had conversations about hitting with Barry Bonds while he was with the Giants and then he followed that up by quickly getting in touch with Braves legend Chipper Jones once he became part of the big league roster here. I’d say that whatever advice those two have been giving him has been stuff that he’s been taking to heart and applying to his game because he’s been putting up plate numbers that we haven’t seen from him since the seats were empty back in 2020.

That 2020 season was the last time when Dominic Smith was seen as a serious threat across the baseball world, as he slugged his way to a 166 wRC+ season with the New York Mets. Accruing 1.4 fWAR across just 50 games is a pretty solid achievement but unfortunately, he had’t even come close to that level of production since then. In fact, he scuffled mightily at the plate during his final two seasons with the Mets and he also spent some time in the wilderness in 2023 and 2024 as he bounced around with the Nationals, Red Sox and Reds. Based on that track record, it’s no wonder that we really didn’t get too hyped up about him around here once he was signed as a non-roster invitee — outside of the idea that he’d provide depth for Matt Olson at first base and an occasional option at DH.

Instead, he had himself a solid spring, played himself onto the big league roster for Opening Day and has proceeded to come up huge for the Braves in some big moments early on in the season. Despite all of that bouncing around that Dominic Smith did over the past few seasons, he still garnered respect from his opposition. Walt Weiss admitted as much during his post-game press conference following the win on Tuesday.

“I’ve watched him a lot from the other side — he was in the division with the Mets and the Nationals and it never felt good when he was in the box in a big spot,” said Weiss. “I knew he was going to be a tough out. He’s not going to chase and the ball’s probably going to be put in play.” Weiss also complimented Weiss on being willing to continue to improve his game. “Regardless of where [he’s] at in [his] career, [he’s] always looking to get better every day [he] shows up. Dom’s certainly that guy. All these guys are like that. Good for Dom — those are a couple of pretty good resources in Bonds and Chipper so he’s a smart guy too, going to the right people.”

Throughout all the scuffling, that determination to get better has finally started to pay off some dividends for Dominic Smith and the Braves appear to be the early beneficiaries of it so far. Again, it’s still very early days for both Smith and the Braves here in the 2026 season but so far, the early results have been encouraging. The Braves are off to a very solid start, Dominic Smith is hitting a hot bat and providing production at a spot that was a very big question mark for this lineup heading into the season.

There’s no telling what the future of any given long and winding baseball season will hold but for now, both Smith and the Braves are off to a very auspicious start. We’ll see if everybody can keep it up so that this team can finally get back to where they were in the past and if Dominic Smith can reach back and find some of that success that made him such an exciting talent back in 2020.

Will Jose Fernandez ever take a walk? Yesterday, he went 2-for-4, but failed to draw a base on balls for the 13th game since he made his debut on March 31st. That is getting him up there into some fairly rarefied company. Well, at least among non-pitchers. As far as records likely never to be broken, we have Enrique Burgos, who appeared 71 times for the Diamondbacks, without a walk. The fact he never came to the plate may have been a factor in this. But in terms of plate appearances to start a career, Fernandez is getting up there. That’s now 44 PA, which have resulted in 44 at-bats. No walks. No HBP. No catcher’s interference. Zero trots down the line to first.

He does have some way to go to reach the franchise record. For the longest time – over twenty years – the mark was held by Jerry Gil, the walkless wonder. In 2004, he played 26 times for the D-backs, coming to the plate 86 times without drawing a walk (he did get hit by a pitch ones). What’s more remarkable is, save one game as a pinch-runner for the Reds in 2007, that was his entire major-league career. Baseball Reference still tags that streak as active… No other position player has had a walkless career with as many PA for almost a hundred years, since Overton Tremper went 94 PA in 1927-28.

However, Gil was recently displaced as the franchise leader for walkless PA’s to start a career. And it was by someone currently on the roster. Nobody noticed much, since it took almost two full seasons to achieve it. But Jorge Barrosa went 35 games and 91 PA, before finally getting his first base on balls in the final game last year. Of course, baseball being baseball, he then walked again, the very next time up. Another D-back also makes the top 10 by games played. Ildemaro Vargas was walkless in his first 20 appearances, though a) they were back in 2017-18, and b) that covered only 28 PA. Right now, by PA, Fernandez sits sixth. We’ll see how much higher her rises!

The Orioles play their 18th game of the year on Wednesday afternoon. They have gone the previous 17 games without facing a left-handed starting pitcher, the longest stretch of any of the other MLB teams. That streak ends today as Arizona’s Eduardo Rodriguez takes the mound against them. If the O’s can pull off the win, they’ll get the series win as they head off on a road trip. Lose and they won’t have managed to sustain good feelings after Monday’s big comeback win.

Although the Orioles have avoided having anyone new placed on the injured list, there’s still been roster shuffling ahead of the game. The team selected the contract of catcher Sam Huff from Norfolk and optioned reliever Nick Raquet back to Norfolk. That means the O’s will be a pitcher short in the bullpen today and for however long this lasts. Raquet did not make a very good first impression on Orioles fans and was lucky not to have given up more runs last night. In this case, there’s not too much downside to not having him out there.

The three catchers thing probably won’t last for long. Maybe it won’t even last until tomorrow’s game. Ahead of today’s game, manager Craig Albernaz indicated that he foresees another roster move coming within the next few days to get the team back to an eight-man bullpen.

I don’t know why the Orioles didn’t bring up Huff a couple of days ago; they’d telegraphed wanting to bring him along as soon as Adley Rutschman hit the injured list, but he’s only arrived today. Mike Elias is always doing weird things on the fringes of the roster. If it matters whether Huff or Maverick Handley is on the roster or how much playing time they’re getting, that’s probably not going to mean good things for the 2026 team. Sending either of them out seems to be the most obvious move.

Pitcher Jayvien Sandridge was designated for assignment to make room for Huff on the 40-man. The Orioles acquired him for cash considerations on March 29, sent him to Norfolk, and never opted to bring him to Baltimore before designating him in turn. Existing at the edge of the 26-man or 40-man rosters is not the most stable place to be.

Orioles lineup

1. Taylor Ward – DH
2. Gunnar Henderson – SS
3. Pete Alonso – 1B
4. Johnathan Rodríguez – RF
5. Weston Wilson – LF
6. Jeremiah Jackson – 2B
7. Coby Mayo – 3B
8. Sam Huff – C
9. Blaze Alexander – CF

This is a lineup, all right. It is not a lineup from which you might be expecting good things. I’m certainly not. Maybe they’ll surprise us. For me, it’s having Rodríguez as the cleanup hitter in his first start as an Oriole that really makes it. With three lefties coming up in the next five games, I’m curious how much of this is going to repeat.

Starting for the Orioles today is Kyle Bradish. At the outset of this season, things haven’t been going well for him, with a particular problem of nine walks in 13.2 innings.

Diamondbacks lineup

1. Ketel Marte – DH
2. Corbin Carroll – RF
3. Geraldo Perdomo – SS
4. Adrian Del Castillo – C
5. José Fernández – 1B
6. Ildemaro Vargas – 2B
7. Nolan Arenado – 3B
8. Alek Thomas – CF
9. Jorge Barrosa – LF

Rodriguez has a 0.50 ERA through his first three starts of the year. Pretty good! It is not an Orioles lineup that’s likely inspiring much fear in him, though they are all still major league players and he can’t totally goof off or he’ll end up seeing his ERA balloon. His best is definitely better than their best and his decent might even be better than their best.

**

This game is taking place on April 15, the day that MLB sets aside each year to honor the day in 1947 that Jackie Robinson made his debut and broke the color barrier in what had been a segregated game. All players will wear 42, the number that is retired league-wide in Robinson’s honor, on this day.

It is a good day to remember that, although overt segregation in public spaces was stamped out long ago, the legacy of this history of racism still impacts our society today. For baseball in particular, a decline in participation by Black Americans is partly rooted in the fact that the youth travel baseball culture that fuels a lot of the domestic talent pipeline in the sport now is off limits to many families for economic reasons rather than overt racial ones.

As this country gears up to celebrate the 250th anniversary of its founding, there is still work to be done to live up to the ideal that all men are created equal. The times in American history of which one can be proudest are the times where people worked or fought to make this reality. Jackie Robinson was a great ballplayer and a great American.

Yet another young player has agreed to a long-term extension just days into his major league career. And Kevin McGonigle might be the best bet of the bunch.

McGonigle punctuated his loud debut with the Detroit Tigers by signing an eight-year, $150 million extension Wednesday, April 15, the club announced. The extension begins next year and runs through 2034.

Assuming McGonigle is not demoted to the minor leagues, the deal buys out his first three years of free agency. It includes a $14 million signing bonus, the club announced, and will peak with $23 million salaries in 2032, 2033 and 2034; performance escalators can boost the value of those final three years by up to $10 million.

It's a virtually risk-free bet for the Tigers, who will pay McGonigle, 21, an average of $18.75 million in that span. The early returns suggest the infielder will outperform the terms of his new deal: McGonigle debuted with a four-hit game, is batting .311 with a .417 on-base percentage and .908 OPS and ranks fourth among among AL position players with 1.1 WAR through 17 games.

His underlying statistics are perhaps even more encouraging. McGonigle ranks in the 98th percentile in baserunning value and the 95th percentile with an 11.1% strikeout rate. While his average exit velocity (88.1 mph) and bat speed (71.4 mph) are in the 34th and 39th percentiles, respectively, both metrics should improve as McGonigle - who turns 22 in August - adds strength to his 5-9, 187-pound frame.

McGonigle could have become a free agent at age 27, still the relative prime for a position player, and should he remain on this arc, likely could have exceeded his average annual value in his final two years of arbitration. As a comparison, Bo Bichette, 28, received a $42 million annual salary from the New York Mets on a three-year guarantee this past winter.

Kevin McGonigle contract is latest MLB extension

Yet McGonigle receives significant financial security and the knowledge he's firmly established as the Tigers' franchise cornerstone. He joins the Pittsburgh Pirates' Konnor Griffin (nine years, $140 million) as well as two players who have yet to make their major league debuts - Seattle's Colt Emerson (eight years, $95 million) and Milwaukee's Cooper Pratt (eight years, $50.75 million) as rookies signing long-term deals just after or before their careers begin.

The Tigers are well-versed in this market: They signed infielder Colt Keith to a six-year, $31.64 million deal that also includes three club options before Keith's 2024 debut. He's been a useful player in his first three seasons, and at $4.3 million this season, hardly busts their budget.

McGonigle will follow a similar path - yet the Tigers are quite confident they'll get significant bang for their guaranteed bucks.