If there’s anyone that knows a thing or two about winning the World Series, it’s David Cone. He played 17 years in the league, winning five championships to go along with five All-Star appearances, an AL Cy Young in 1994, and even a perfect game back in 1999 with the Yankees.
Cone is one of the most decorated pitchers in MLB history, and when asked on the Rich Eisen Show who should be the favorites to take home the 2023 World Series trophy, he couldn’t stop raving about the Braves.
“It’s the Atlanta Braves, and that’s an easy answer right now,” Cone said. “They are loaded top to bottom. Their lineup is circular one through nine more than any other team in the big leagues right now. I have a feeling, too, that they are going to be active to try and add some pitching, maybe some starting pitching at the deadline, but they also have one of the best young power pitchers in Spencer Strider, and Max Fried, a young lefty, is going to be back too in the second half and down the stretch. He’s a good one too and is postseason tested. It’s the Braves, and it’s probably not even close.”
Cone puts it about as perfectly as possible. The Braves lineup is a juggernaut that might set the record for the most home runs in a single season. They feature a multitude of All-Stars, the frontrunner for the NL MVP award, and power from top to bottom. There isn’t a comparable unit in the league right now, and the pitching staff will only get better as guys like Max Fried return to action.
I also agree that the Braves won’t just sit on their hands at the trade deadline. They may not need much, but they have the resources to make this team even more unstoppable down the stretch. Nobody is in a better position to win the World Series in 2023, but in this game, that only means so much. As Cone would know, championships are not won in July. The Braves have to be playing their best baseball going into October if they want to raise the Commissioner’s Trophy.
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Photo: Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire
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