Braves swing back to a righty-heavy look, with Jim Jarvis at shortstop and Dominic Smith at DH

Sunday’s 12:30 p.m. ET matchup between the Atlanta Braves and the New York Mets is set to lean into a right-handed-on-right-handed script, with Atlanta making a clear lineup pivot. Jim Jarvis is back in the starting lineup at shortstop and Dominic Smith is slated as the designated hitter, changes that shape the Braves’ batting order for the afternoon matinee.

Batting order details from pregame information point to a mostly familiar Braves core at the top. Drake Baldwin is listed back in the leadoff spot after Mauricio Dubón led off Saturday night, dropping into the five-hole for this game instead. The adjustment underscores how quickly Atlanta can retool its daily alignment based on who is on the mound and where it wants certain matchups in the order.

Smith’s start at DH, batting sixth, also stands out as a functional role rather than a headline-grabbing positional switch. In this configuration, the Braves are balancing regular outfield in the lineup with a bat placed at the DH spot, then using their infield starter at shortstop to carry the nine-hole role behind the top of the order.

On the pitching side, the Mets are expected to counter with right-hander Nolan McLean, while Atlanta counters with left-hander Martín Pérez. Previews note Atlanta’s recent look at McLean is limited, with Braves hitters combining for 4-for-23 (.174) against him across two career starts, including eight strikeouts and three walks. That profile frames the lineup choices as more than routine, because the Braves’ best day against McLean could come from getting early counts and avoiding the punchouts he has delivered.

The Mets’ lineup is not built as a total overhaul either. Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto are again expected among the top of the batting order, with Soto listed as the designated hitter this time. Luis Torrens is slated behind the plate, and AJ Ewing is listed in center field, with Eric Wagaman shifting to a DH role from Saturday to Sunday.

Even with continuity, the Braves have a specific scouting emphasis entering the game. One preview highlights that current Mets hitters are collectively 21-for-64 (.328) against Pérez, with several of New York’s core bats producing that success. Bo Bichette, Francisco Lindor, and Juan Soto are cited as leading the charge, including mention of Lindor drawing multiple walks and Soto connecting for the only Mets home run off Pérez in the matchup history referenced.

For Atlanta, the operational challenge is straightforward: keep pressure on New York’s top-of-order against their starter, and do enough damage against McLean early to prevent the game from settling into a pitch-count grind. For the Mets, the task is equally clear, because they are asking the right-hander to do the same thing multiple times, keep Atlanta’s lineup from finding rhythm, and then allow their infield and bullpen to clean up the later innings if the Braves do not get consistent base runners.

The immediate test will be how Atlanta’s rebalanced order performs against McLean in the first two turns of the lineup, particularly Baldwin’s leadoff slot and how Smith’s DH placement affects run production opportunities. If the Braves can repeat their best at-bats from the prior matchup history against McLean while avoiding the strikeouts noted in the preview, they will have a path to closing innings with sustained offense rather than chasing late at-bats.