As the National League postseason picture begins to come into more focus, one thing is clear. The Atlanta Braves, currently holding the best record in the NL and likely the top seed on the NL side of the postseason bracket, will have a target on their backs when October begins.
It is the same scenario the Braves faced in 2022 when they were coming off a World Series title and entered their postseason defense as the top NL seed. However, the Philadelphia Phillies, after disposing of the NL Central champion St. Louis Cardinals in the Wild Card round, continued their impressive run by knocking out Atlanta.
So what gives Atlanta the upper hand this season? Let's look at a big advantage the Braves have over three of their potentially toughest foes for the NL postseason.
Why the Atlanta Braves can handle the Philadelphia Phillies
This season, Atlanta has already shown it has the Phillies in its crosshairs, making an emphatic statement by winning the NL East in style at Citizens Bank Park and drinking in all of the hate from Philadelphia fans in the process while also egging it on.
Atlanta's celebration wasn't just a statement about this season. It was also a reminder to Phillies fans that they are still salty about last year's postseason knockout.
The Braves have every bit of momentum on their side to ensure the Phillies are sent home this season. There will be no surprise runs by Philadelphia this season as, if they meet the Braves in the 2023 postseason, Atlanta will be ready to exact its revenge and may even try to do it with plenty of flair.
Why the Atlanta Braves can handle the Milwaukee Brewers
In the midst of a historic season where he could become the first-ever player to hit 40 home runs and steal 70 bases, Ronald Acuña Jr. is one of the leading candidates for National League MVP. The numbers speak for themselves, but some of the 25-year-old's best numbers have come against the Brewers this season.
Acuña has posted a .458/.536/.583 slash line in 28 plate appearances against Milwaukee this season, helping Atlanta hold a 5-1 record against the Brewers. Heading into Wednesday's play, the 42 runs were the most allowed by Milwaukee against any non-NL Central team ... and only Pittsburgh is ahead of the Braves in that department, scoring 52 runs in 13 games. Yes, Atlanta is just 10 runs behind the Pirates in scoring against the Brewers and did that damage in less than half the games needed by Pittsburgh.
Many will point to Milwaukee's rotation as one of the Brewers' strengths in the postseason, but Atlanta has already shown they can score against whoever the Brew Crew puts on the mound. That charge is led by Acuña, making a Braves matchup a scary thought in the upper Midwest.
Why the Atlanta Braves can handle the Los Angeles Dodgers
It is the NLCS that everyone is expecting as the Braves and Dodgers will all but likely be the top two seeds on the NL side of the bracket. Atlanta holds a slim 4-3 lead in the season series, a set of matchups where the visiting team has won the series (Atlanta took three of four in Los Angeles while the Dodgers won two of three at Truist Park).
The most recent of the matchups took place in late August and early September at Chavez Ravine, and perhaps that's a better representation of the current state of both teams' rotations. Since that matchup, the Dodgers have lost Julio Urías, who is not with the team after being arrested on September 3 on domestic violence charges. His absence puts another dent in the Los Angeles rotation that is thin heading into the postseason as our own Robert Murray pointed out in this article.
If the two teams get together in the NLCS, Atlanta will have a decided upper hand in its starting pitching. While Los Angeles holds its own pair of MVP candidates in Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, getting to the World Series usually takes strong pitching and Atlanta has an abundance of that when compared to Clayton Kershaw, Lance Lynn and a grouping of rookies and young pitchers who will have to step into the spotlight for Los Angeles.
