The Braves’ Chief Rivals
But that said, let’s take a moment to look at the Mets harrowing schedule for June, starting on June 2nd:
- at the DODGERS (4 games)
- at the PADRES (3 games)
- at the ANGELS (3 games)
- vs. the BREWERS (3 games)
- vs. the MARLINS (4 games)
- at the ASTROS (2 games)
- at the MARLINS (3 games)
- vs. the ASTROS (2 games)
That’s June 2nd through the 29th. Only one team is currently under .500, and that’s the always-dangerous Marlins. Every other team is either in first or second place.
On top of that, the Mets are going without the services of their two best pitchers — DeGrom and Scherzer — for several more weeks, at least… and it’s possible that neither is available before the All-Star break (with Mad Max having the earlier arrival date).
So while, there is some depth to their rotation, the Mets pitching isn’t looking as scary as before, and they will be facing a number of teams that can match up with anything they currently have to offer.
New York started the year at 14-5. The Braves didn’t get any help from Philadelphia this weekend, as the Mets swept them to get to 32-17, but it’s this next month during these 24 games that will tell everyone whether they are “for real”.
So let’s Speculate…
After the Braves’ next 19 games, they will have to face the Giants (4), Dodgers (3), and Phillies (3) to close out the month.
If the Braves can muster 14 wins during this “soft” part of the schedule and then break even for the remainder of the month (5-5), that’s a record of 19-10 for May 30 through June 30.
The Mets, for their part, could realistically be limited to a 15-12 record over the same dates (assumes a sweep of the Nationals starting today).
That would constitute a decent gain in the standings for the month… with a lot of head-to-head matchups still coming later in the year.
Their work is cut out for them… now with a reimagined lineup available to them, it’s time for the Atlanta Braves to make some positive momentum happen.