3 teams the Atlanta Braves would probably prefer to avoid in the postseason

The Atlanta Braves have clearly been the best team in baseball this season, but that doesn't mean some teams aren't worse matchups than others.

Jul 5, 2023; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA;  Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner (7) is
Jul 5, 2023; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner (7) is | Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
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The Philadelphia Phillies could be dangerous for the Braves in the playoffs

The Phillies are an easy place to start as they are a familiar foe and they also spoiled the Braves playoff run last year in the NLDS. There were certainly a few fluky things about last year as Atlanta was exhausted from having to chase down the Mets into the final week of the season and illness hitting the Braves' pitching staff but the biggest reason why the Braves lost that series is because the Phillies are a good team who are built for playoff baseball.

The best way to see this is with their pitching staff. The Phillies' rotation isn't particularly deep, but you will struggle to find a better 1-2 punch at the top of a rotation than Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola. Wheeler could very well win the Cy Young this year and Nola's track record speaks for itself even if he hasn't been at the height of his powers this season. When the Phillies could run either of those guys out multiple times in a series on short rest, it is clear why Philadelphia is a true threat to steal a playoff series.

The news is actually worse than that as the Phillies also have a pair of known Braves killers on their roster in Bryce Harper and Trea Turner. Bryce has tormented Atlanta for years now going back to his time with the Nationals and he also appears to be fully healthy again after recovering from Tommy John surgery. Turner was having a season to forget in the first half after signing a huge contract with the Phillies, but has looked like his former self lately and he always seems to give the Braves a lot of trouble.

The good news here is that these Braves appear to be better than the 2022 version and they have also played the Phillies well this year with a 4-2 record. However, the playoffs are a different animal, so hopefully the Phillies get bounced in the Wild Card round and they aren't an issue.

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