Atlanta Braves: could a reloaded Mets team be the biggest threat in 2019?

Could the Braves’ path to back-to-back division titles run through Queens?

It’s no secret that the Atlanta Braves had their way with division foes in 2018, posting winning records against all four rivals – including a combined 27-11 record against the New York Mets and Miami Marlins.

All in all, the Braves finished the season with a 49-27 record within their own division, leaving the team with a sub-.500 record outside the rather lackluster National League East.

The Braves’ incredible success within the division was enough to overcome their mediocre play outside of the division, allowing the team to claim 90 wins and their first NL East title in five years.

One of the teams that will stand in the Braves’ way on their quest to defend their division title is the New York Mets. The Braves owned the team from Flushing in 2018, finishing with a 13-6 record while posting a +29 run differential in 19 games.

As you’ll recall, the Mets got off to a torrid pace to start the year, going 11-1 in their first 12 games before crashing to the earth in a hurry, going 21-47 in the 68 games after their 11-1 start, including a miserable 15-39 record in the months of May and June combined.

Atlanta would have the fortune of facing off against the Mets 12 times from mid-April to June, going 9-3 in this time frame. New York would improve in the second half of the season, going from 19 games under .500 to a somewhat more respectable 77-85, good for fourth place in the East and 13 games back of the division champion Braves.

What does this mean for 2019?

Despite Mets’ General Manager Brodie Van Wagenen declaring the Mets “favorites” in the NL East following their recent acquisitions of Robinson Cano, Edwin Diaz, and Wilson Ramos, it seems a bit of a stretch to assume the Mets will take the title in a much more hotly contested, youthful NL East.

While it’s certainly not out of the question that they’ll be competing for a division title, the Mets still hold just the 4th-best odds of winning the division ahead of only the Marlins as Mets beat writer, Anthony DiComo discovered:

While an NL East title doesn’t seem likely right now for New York, the much improved squad could prove to be a major test for the Braves in 2019.

Providing the roster remains mostly healthy (a major ‘if’, as always for New York), the Mets appear to be a very formidable foe. Last year’s lineup headlined at times by aging veterans such as Adrian Gonzalez and Jose Bautista has been vastly improved and their always daunting pitching staff led by Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard will prove no less challenging.

The big challenge will involve the additions they’ve made to their lineup – and they may not be finished, either.

While many are expecting that Robinson Cano will not age well toward the end of his contract, he should still be relatively productive for the Metropolitans in 2019.  Bullpen additions of Jeurys Familia and Edwin Diaz should insure that leads are held a lot more often than last year.

The signing of Wilson Ramos adds to the Mets’ offense, and while it still doesn’t feel formidable, their pitching will allow them to ‘hang around’ in games more often… and probably often enough to be quite annoying.

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If the Phillies or Nationals – who both finished the year with 8-11 records against New York – had Braves-like numbers against the Mets, the division would have been much tighter.

Philadelphia and Washington, who have both made significant acquisitions as well, appear much more likely to at least match their 2018 record with the Mets. That may be a much taller order for the Braves who seemingly caught the Mets at the best time in 2018.

With four teams with legitimate chances at a title, the NL East has been improved significantly in the last two months and every win will prove to be crucial.

While nobody in the division is likely to sniff 50 divisional wins as the Braves accomplished in 2018, Atlanta’s path to consecutive titles will hinge on their success against their improved division rivals like the Mets.

New York may not be the “favorites”, but they could certainly be a spoiler for Brian Snitker‘s club this summer.