Braves Player's Epic At-Bat Ends in Homer and Meme Fame

Dominic Smith's teammates were already laughing at him before he made it back to the dugout, and that was exactly how he wanted it.

The Atlanta Braves first baseman turned Wednesday night's 9-1 victory over the Miami Marlins into instant meme material with two unforgettable moments. First came a marathon 12-pitch at-bat that ended with a three-run homer to right-center field, tying it for the third-longest home run plate appearance in Braves history since 1988.

Smith had already flied out twice against pitcher Janson Junk that night. The third time up, with runners on base and the game on the line, he decided to simplify everything and just battle.

"I knew that I didn't have to do much, just hit the ball in the air somewhere and drive the run in," Smith said after the game. He fouled off pitch after pitch, grinding down the pitcher with each swing, until an 81.4 mph curveball hung just long enough for Smith to crush it over the fence.

Winning pitcher Chris Sale called it "one of the most professional at-bats you're gonna see." The homer opened up the game and gave Atlanta the breathing room they needed.

But Smith wasn't done creating memories. In the eighth inning, he hit a ball into the gap that bounced around after two Marlins outfielders collided trying to catch it.

Smith rounded second hard, slowed near third, then spotted the ball still loose and sprinted home. He dove headfirst into home plate and stayed there for several seconds, completely gassed but safe with his first triple since 2023.

By the time he caught his breath, the jokes had already started. His family was texting him memes before he even checked his phone.

"I felt much faster in the moment than I looked on video," Smith admitted with a laugh. His teammates will definitely remind him about that slide again and again.

Sunny's Take

What makes this story shine isn't just the impressive baseball. It's Smith's willingness to laugh at himself while celebrating a genuine achievement. He hired a track coach to work on his speed, knows it's not his strength, and still gave everything he had on that sprint home.

In a winning clubhouse, those funny moments become the stories teammates tell for years. Smith became just the sixth Braves player since 1969 to hit both a regular homer and a Little League home run in the same game, joining names like Fred McGriff in the record books.

Speed might not be Smith's attribute, but heart clearly is.