After what can best be described as horror show of a start to the season, the Atlanta Braves are mostly back on track. There is still work to do to look like the Braves' offense of recent years, but the Braves have gone 21-14 after starting the season with seven straight losses. That is a pace that is more that good enough and that winning percentage would be leading half the divisions in MLB right now.
However, that is little solace to Braves fans when they look at the standings and see Atlanta in third place and 6.5 games back in the NL East they used to dominate and only just getting back to .500 after beating the Nationals on Tuesday. One can be mildly optimistic, but this still does not feel like the Braves teams that ran amok from 2018-2023 before injuries set in.
That said, there are experts that have been paying attention to how Atlanta has performed lately and remain bullish that the Braves could make things interesting. For example, The Athletic recently decided to release their MLB power rankings and Atlanta came in at a very respectable #11 given where their season started.
Braves get some love in The Athletic's MLB power rankings, but the path to the postseason looks rough
The focus in their power rankings is on what the Braves have lost out on with Ronald Acuna Jr. and Jurickson Profar getting special mention. However, it was a reminder that the Braves have found a way to hang around .500 for almost two months without a MVP-level talent from their lineup and a Cy Young-level talent in Spencer Strider doing basically anything. Make a list of the teams in baseball that can lay claim to being able to do that. Anyone here think the Dodgers would be a playoff team right now without Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Freddie Freeman? We didn't think so.
Of course, being in the top half of the league isn't exactly a bar that fans want to clear when it comes to the Braves. To defy history and overcome the start of their season, Acuna Jr. and Strider are going to have to come back soon AND play well. It wouldn't hurt if Drake Baldwin continued his tear and if Ozzie Albies remembered how to hit.
The important thing right now is that there IS a path forward to contention for the Braves this season even if it is difficult. Winning the division is going to be tough as long as the Mets refuse to lose. The Phillies can still pitch quite well and the strength of the NL West is going to make the wild card race a true battle. At least there is a chance now compared to a month ago when Braves fans were wondering if a winning season was even possible.