Less than 2 weeks after his mother's death, Dominic Smith delivers a historic Braves walk-off

The Atlanta Braves celebrate at home plate after a walkoff grand slam from Dominic Smith, center, in the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, Saturday, March 28, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Colin Hubbard)

Braves designated hitter Dominic Smith’s mother died less than two weeks ago. He said the team has picked him up the last few weeks, and he returned the favor Saturday night.

Smith became the first player in MLB history to hit a walk-off grand slam in his debut with a new team, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. He finished off the Braves’ six-run ninth inning in a 6-2 win over the Kansas City Royals.

“It’s just amazing,” said Smith, who was one of the last players to make the Braves’ opening day roster. “Played against the Braves for a long time, and being on the other side a lot of these endings kind of hurt, so to be on the right side of it this time was so fun.”