It's been an absolutely unbelievable season for the Atlanta Braves so far. They currently lead baseball with the most wins at 38-19 and the second-best run differential at +103. Fans have certainly enjoyed the start to this season much more than last year.
The offense has been firing on all cylinders despite injuries to some key players early on. Almost every offseason acquisition has made an impact on the field. The starting rotation and bullpen are both in the top 5 among all MLB teams in ERA. Things couldn't be going any better.
However, even with the best record in baseball, the recent power rankings released by The Athletic have the Braves as MLB's second-best team.
Braves fall just short of the Dodgers in recent power rankings, but they aren't far off
Atlanta ranked as the top team in The Athletic's previous poll, but has them ranked below the Dodgers in the updated ranking. The Dodgers do have a better run differential at +120, and boast the second-best record at 36-20.
The two teams are pretty interchangeable and could each be argued for being better than the other. However, the Braves do seem to have a more complete team from top to bottom. Chad Jennings believes Atlanta's winning ways won't slow down anytime soon, either.
Jennings also states that the Braves' success isn't a fluke and they aren't overachievers. It makes sense when you consider that Ronald Acuña Jr. hasn't even played to his full potential yet. Ha-Seong Kim has been disappointing since returning from the IL, and Drake Baldwin/Sean Murphy are on the injured list.
There's plenty of reason to believe things will only get better. Especially once the Braves can look at bolstering the roster even more at the trade deadline. Atlanta has yet to go on a prolonged losing streak (knock on wood), and that's what the best teams do.
The Dodgers obviously have a stacked lineup and excellent rotation, led by Shohei Ohtani. LA leads baseball in average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and OPS as well. The Braves are third in average, OPS, and slugging, but ninth in on-base percentage.
Atlanta does lead the majors in RBI (293) and hits, with the second-most home runs (77). The pitching for both teams is very close as well. The Dodgers are at the top with a 3.12 ERA, and the Braves have a 3.14 ERA.
This won't be the last time both teams switch places in rank this season. Atlanta has a strong case for being the best team in baseball, and they very well could finish the season as the best. But there is a long way left to go.
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