The Atlanta Braves held a big lead in the National League East standings early in the season. The Philadelphia Phillies were not playing up to expectations, while the rest of the division was underwhelming for the most part. However, the Braves’ once large lead is now down to three games after losing two out of three contests against the San Francisco Giants over the weekend. Meanwhile, the Phillies — who are in second place and trail the Braves by three games — won two out of three games against the New York Mets this past weekend.
So, are the Braves in trouble in the division? Or will they be fine?
Braves’ Current Situation
The Braves were the best team in baseball earlier this year. Every ball club has ups and downs, so their recent underperformance — Atlanta is just 3-7 over the past 10 games — is not too alarming. It is part of the long grind that is the MLB season. However, the Phillies’ play has been especially impressive.
Philadelphia is 7-3 over its past 10 games. The 49-33 Braves are talented, but the 47-37 Phillies are making things interesting. Kyle Schwarber has been the best power hitter in baseball this year, while Bryce Harper and Brandon Marsh are helping matters offensively. Meanwhile, Cristopher Sanchez and Zack Wheeler are leading the pitching rotation, and they have both been tremendous this season.
However, the Phillies are not the only team the Braves have to worry about.
Heading into the season, the expectation was that the Phillies and New York Mets would end up battling for the NL East, while the Braves may be able to compete as well. Instead, it is currently the Braves and Phillies fighting for the top spot while the Mets are in last place in the division. New York is 15 games out of first place at the moment. The Miami Marlins and Washington Nationals are both exceeding expectations, though.
Miami is only six games back of first place, while the Nationals are 7.5 games behind the Braves. The NL East is suddenly becoming one of the more competitive divisions in baseball.
Overall, the Braves are still in a respectable position. They have been one of the better teams in baseball, and they are currently in first place in the NL East. With that being said, there are three talented teams getting closer to them in the standings.
