Some time ago, the Braves were squarely leading the NL Wild Card race and looked prime to chase down the division-leading Phillies. Things look a bit different now.
NL Wild Card Standings
- Braves (60-51)
- Padres (61-52)
- Diamondbacks (60-52)
- Mets (58-53)
- Cardinals (57-55)
- Pirates (56-55)
- Giants (56-57)
- Cubs (55-59)
- Reds (53-58)
The Braves only sit 6.0 games behind the Phillies, but they should be more worried about the Padres, Diamondbacks, and the rest of the National League teams vying for a Wild Card spot.
Some would argue that there’s a better chance the Braves miss the playoffs altogether than chase down the Phillies and win their seventh straight NL East title. David Schoenfield of ESPNÂ is one of them, predicting Atlanta to miss the postseason for the first time since 2017.
“They miss the playoffs. Sunday’s shutout loss (and series loss) to the Marlins is another sign the offense isn’t going to break out. Max Fried’s return from the injured list wasn’t encouraging as he walked five batters and got knocked out in the fourth inning. Sometimes it just isn’t your season. That may be the case for the Braves in 2024.”
I certainly don’t think the Braves are going to miss the playoffs, but acting like that’s not a real possibility is insane. It’s very real. It takes three teams to go on a hot stretch over their last 50 games or so, and Atlanta will be on the outside looking in.
The Braves offense is still flawed. With two of Adam Duvall, Ramon Laureano and Eddie Rosario set up to start a lot of baseball games, the outfield is still suspect.
Alex Anthopoulos weighed the possibility of winning now, the price of acquiring pieces at the traded deadline, and the future of the organization and decided to deal virtually no prospects away while relying on the internal improvement of Harris and Ozzie Albies returning from injury.
It’s a fine line that Anthopoulos is toeing. The Braves have a chance of winning the division still, but the Wild Card is a bigger worry right now.
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Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire
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