Dominic Smith’s late-in-game swing pushes him deeper into NL DH All-Star conversation

Dominic Smith did not need to outpoll Shohei Ohtani to make his case for the National League’s designated-hitter spot. In Saturday’s 6-3 win over the Pirates at Truist Park, the Braves DH produced when it mattered most, finishing with two hits and an opposite-field home run during a decisive three-run fifth inning. The timing stood out, both because it broke open a tight game and because it continued the pattern Smith and the Braves have built around his bat.

Smith’s 2026 season has been defined by the kind of controllable output that changes a team’s in-game options. Braves manager Walt Weiss entered the year looking to rotate through multiple players in the DH role, depending on matchups. Smith has made that plan harder to follow, delivering production even when the opposing team starts a right-handed pitcher. Through his first 149 plate appearances, Smith hit.309 with six home runs and an.830 OPS, and the club has been able to keep leaning on him rather than searching for an alternative.

In the specific Pirates game, Smith’s home run came as a two-run shot that stayed just inside the left-field foul pole. He also singled in the first inning, setting up further damage when Austin Riley’s RBI double followed in the Braves’ two-run frame. That blend of table-setting and finishing is one reason Smith has been showing up in conversations beyond Atlanta’s lineup card, particularly as the NL fan vote for All-Star starters approaches.

Smith’s position at the center of the All-Star discussion is rooted in more than one standout swing. According to MLB’s Braves report, he ranks second among NL DHs in batting average (minimum 20 at-bats) and sixth in OPS. The names at the top of the conversation are recognizable, with Kyle Schwarber and Ohtani listed as the leading candidates for the NL DH role. But Smith’s numbers have given the Braves a credible reason to believe the DH ballot might reward the consistency that has carried Atlanta’s offense through the grind of early summer.

The broader context matters because the All-Star process is structured to reward popularity and performance in layers. Under MLB’s current voting system, fans cast ballots for a full slate of players at each position in Phase 1, including the designated hitter for both leagues. The top vote-getter in each league after Phase 1 earns an automatic starting spot, while the remaining players move into Phase 2. In Phase 2, fans select from the finalists at each position, and the winners are named starters, with vote totals from Phase 1 not carrying over. For Smith, that means strong finishing can still matter even if he is not projected to win the widest ballot battle.

There is also a human side to why Atlanta has warmed to Smith, and why his on-field run has landed with more impact than the typical DH storyline. Braves notes that Smith signed with the organization after spring training opened, then traveled to California near the end of February to visit his ailing mother and still made the Opening Day roster. Less than a month into the season, he delivered a walk-off grand slam on March 28, then revealed shortly afterward that his mother had died two weeks earlier. Those events did not change his role overnight, but they helped turn every on-base and extra-base moment into something the Braves clubhouse and fans can rally around.

Smith’s clubhouse fit has also been part of what makes his offensive output easier to trust. The report highlights how the Braves’ roster has included recognizable stars, yet production has come from dependable contributors like Mauricio Dubón and Smith, allowing Atlanta to stay whole as games move into late innings. Even in the Pirates matchup, Spencer Strider battled and limited Pittsburgh to three runs over five innings while Smith kept the offense pointed forward, extending the feel of a team that can win in multiple ways.