The Braves are one of the favorites to win the World Series, but there are a few different factors and teams that could cause them trouble.
The Atlanta Braves are one of the most talented and complete rosters in the entire MLB. They have the National League's top two leaders in RBIs (Matt Olson and Ozzie Albies), while also having the NL's leader in runs scored (Ronald Acuna).
Ronald Acuna is also one of the favorites to take home the NL MVP for the 2023 season. For the first few months, their ace, Spencer Strider, was one of the best pitchers in the game, offering next level dominance. Strider still leads all NL pitchers in strikeouts.
For good reason, the Braves have found themselves at the front of the World Series hopefuls. There are a few teams and factors that could cause them issues down the road.
The Tampa Bay Rays could be a threat to the Braves World Series hopes
This should be obvious. The Rays are the current best team in the league. Luckily for Atlanta, the Rays are in the American League, so they won't be a problem to the Braves unless it's in the World Series. But that doesn't change the fact that the Rays compete with the Braves as being the most complete team in the league.
The Rays feature a lineup with four players that sport a WAR over 2,0. led by their young shortstop Wander Franco with a 3.8 WAR. Their lineup also has eight players with an OPS over .800 this year. Their lineup is comparable to the Braves as they have both scored around 400 runs this season.
The difference between these two teams could be in the pitching. The Rays have the best starting pitching in the MLB by a wide margin. They're led by the Cy Young candidate, Shane McClanahan who leads the AL in wins and ERA by a wide margin. The difference in these two teams is the pitching. Atlanta will need to see the return of Kyle Wright and Max Fried as well as Spencer Strider returning to form in order to feel comfortable against the Rays.
The Texas Rangers could be a threat to the Braves World Series hopes
There aren't many teams in the MLB that have a better offense than the Braves. The Rangers are one of the only teams that can claim that feat. The Rangers don't have a hitter that is as great as Acuna has been, but they have a few that are close. The Rangers are balanced and complete offensively, where they have four players in double digits for home runs and eight players with over 30 RBIs.
Again, the Braves won't have to worry about the Rangers until the World Series. For the most part, a lot of the most talented teams are in the American League, which is good news for the Braves. This means the Braves won't have to battle a playoff gauntlet where they face the Rays and the Rangers in the same month.
The Rangers don't have the playoff experience that the Braves do, but they do present an interesting threat to Atlanta. The fact that Nathan Eovaldi is pitching as well as he is right now adds to their ability to cause ripples down the stretch.
Pitching depth could be a threat to the Braves World Series hopes
The best ability is availability and the Braves have dealt with their share of pitching injuries this season. One of their best arms, Max Fried, has been sidelined for over a month with a forearm injury. Kyle Wright joins him on the IL with a shoulder injury. Just recently, their best reliever Jesse Chavez has found himself on the 15 day IL with a left shin contusion.
The pitching struggles don't end there. The Braves bullpen has been one of the best in the league, ERA wise. But this same bullpen lacks a true closer and lacks the ability to consistently close games out. On the season, they are 36/50 on saves, where they rank tied for the fifth most in the MLB with 14 blown saves. Late inning relievers Raisel Iglesias and AJ Minter have both blown over two saves and have ERAs over 4.00.
To pair with the injuries and late inning bullpen struggles, their ace Spencer Strider hasn't been his true self recently. This shouldn't concern Braves fans too much, as it won't be long until Strider is back to form.
The Braves have the ability to add players at the deadline, which will likely be to bolster their pitching depth. They will also see the benefits of their top guys returning from the IL.
