Despite what some of the more pessimistic baseball fans out there would lead one to believe, the Atlanta Braves are on track to be both a very good baseball team in 2023 as well as a very fun baseball team to watch on the field as well. Ronald Acuna Jr., Michael Harris II, Ozzie Albies, Austin Riley, Spencer Strider, and Max Fried are just some of the guys on the roster that are destined to make some highlight reels next year.
Given that, it was a certainty that we were going to see the Braves get some prime time, national coverage especially against opposing teams of similar intrigue. ESPN put out their initial schedule of games and the Braves will indeed be getting featured early.
ESPN Sunday night baseball for April pic.twitter.com/2VzOHHmRWe
— Chief_Fred (@FredEOwens) January 19, 2023
Atlanta Braves matchups with Padres and Phillies to be featured on Sunday Night Baseball
While this is all subject to change obviously, the Braves’ games against the Padres on April 9th and against the Phillies on May 28th. Both are home games for the Braves which means that Truist Park is going to be very loud against two very game opponents.
The Padres game is an interesting one as San Diego features a genuinely scary lineup that now includes Juan Soto and is a squad that has real aspirations to challenge the Dodgers for supremacy in the NL West. These early season games can go either way, but that game in particular comes at the end of a potential tough seven game stretch that also includes a three game road series against the Cardinals.
As for the Phillies game, Philadelphia is coming off an impressive postseason run and now has notable Braves regular season destroyer Trea Turner on their roster. Bryce Harper isn’t likely to be back by this game which helps the Braves’ cause, but the Phillies are going to be very competitive in 2023 and any ground the Braves can gain in these head-to-head matchups would be welcome.
The Sunday Night Baseball schedule only has games through August on the schedule so far. Assuming the Braves are in contention well into the season, it wouldn’t be surprising to see at least one more Braves game added before it is all said and done.