3 Reasons the Braves are still better than the Dodgers despite the Ohtani signing

Here are three reasons that the Atlanta Braves are better off than the Los Angeles Dodgers going into the 2024 season.

Los Angeles Angels v Atlanta Braves
Los Angeles Angels v Atlanta Braves | Todd Kirkland/GettyImages
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Austin Riley
Division Series - Atlanta Braves v Philadelphia Phillies - Game Four | Kevin D. Liles/Atlanta Braves/GettyImages

Atlanta still have the most powerful lineup in baseball

It is really easy to "ooo and ahhh" at the idea of Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Shohei Ohtani on the same lineup card. The Dodgers are projected to have these three individuals back to back to back in the batting order. This will be a nightmare for opposing pitchers. You know what else is a nightmare? The entire Braves offense.

This is absolutely absurd to report but it is true. If you add Shohei Ohtani's 2023 home run total to the Dodgers offense a season ago, the Braves still hit significantly more long balls than Los Angeles. If you forgot, Ohtani is the reigning American League MVP and had the 2nd most homers of anyone in all of Major League Baseball.

The Dodgers will have the toughest top three hitters in the league but after that, their lineup weakens a little. Much like 2023, we can anticipate the Braves offense 1-9 to be a powerful juggernaut. It takes more than three elite hitters to tie the single-season team home run record, and this Braves' lineup still scares pitchers more than any other squad in baseball.

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