2024 NL East race may be closer than Braves fans anticipated

The Braves remain the favorites to win the NL East division. However, they may have a higher level of competition than most were anticipating. 

As the calendar recently flipped to May, the Atlanta Braves remained at the top of not only the National League East standings but have the best record in all of baseball. However, they have some rivals that just flipped things. 

Phillies look like one of baseball's best

Atlanta could not have asked for a much better start to their season, but the pesky Philadelphia Phillies have managed to open up a 2.5 game lead on Atlanta, thanks to a 9-1 record in their last ten games. In years past, Atlanta has found a way to separate themselves by season’s end, but 2024 very well could be a dog fight up to game 162. 

The Phillies last season severely underachieved at the beginning of the year, but that hasn't been the case in 2024. One of their most crucial pieces in Trea Turner did not play up to his expectations and was a costly liability to Philadelphia. Down the stretch and into the playoffs, Turner flipped a switch and returned to all-star form. Sadly for Philly, Turner is going to be sidelined for at least a month with a hamstring injury.

Atlanta has their own concerns

Another reason the Phillies could make a run at the division title this year is because of Atlanta’s injuries and uncertainty. Spencer Strider being sidelined for the year is a huge blow to the Braves rotation, and Atlanta is still working on how to fill that void.

Sean Murphy has been out for an extended amount of time and when he does return it may be a little bit before he is as effective as the Braves want him to be. 

In addition, the Jarred Kelenic and Adam Duvall platoon in left field started out paying dividends, but we have seen both of these individuals start slowing down a little to where this could become a weak spot for the Braves. 

Finally, the biggest surprise so far is that Ronald Acuna, Austin Riley and Matt Olson have all hit a major rough patch at the same time. We don’t expect this to continue all season but it has already lasted longer than everyone thought it would when the slump began. 

We still expect the Braves to capture another NL East title, but there is a chance that a lot of us could bite off all our fingernails watching the division race unfold in 2024. Hopefully, the path to a seventh consecutive NL East title becomes a little smoother as the season prorgresses.

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