Across the first half of the 2024 season, there are numerous takeaways that you might have from the Atlanta Braves year up to this point, some of which we highlighted here.
Sitting at 53-42 overall, the Braves now find themselves in the middle of a division battle and appear set to play October baseball for yet another year. However, the question remains on which seed the Braves will be for the playoffs, assuming they get there again.
As the Braves prepare to make that playoff push, here are three storylines you should monitor across the second half of the 2024 season.
Your ERA leaders heading into the second half 💪 pic.twitter.com/hqrCqCInEi
— MLB (@MLB) July 18, 2024
3 Atlanta Braves storylines to follow in second half
1. Will the Braves win the NL East?
Entering this season, the Braves had won six-straight NL East division titles dating back to 2018 but now find themselves 8.5 GB of the first-place Philadelphia Phillies coming out of the All-Star Break. It is certainly possible that the Braves end up catching the Phillies as well, but it will likely take a second half similar to their 2022 run in which they caught the New York Mets in the standings for the division title.
2. How active with the Braves be at the trade deadline?
A team that is increasingly likely to make the postseason regardless of winning the division or not, the Braves are certain to add at the MLB trade deadline later this month, but just how active will they be? Atlanta has the pieces needed to make a significant move on the trade market, and combining that fact with the few positions of need for the Braves, it should make for an interesting couple of weeks.
3. Which prospects will the Braves call-up?
Throughout the 2024 season, the Braves have called up multiple prospects to make their MLB debut such as Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep. It feels likely that this list could grow between now and the end of the regular season, with these three names becoming the likeliest to appear in Atlanta between now and October.
With these three only a few of the things to watch for across the season's second half, it's clear that the coming months could be intriguing for the Atlanta Braves.