The 2023 season has been nothing short of historic for the Atlanta Braves. They have won their sixth consecutive NL East title and have shattered multiple regular season records. Even in the midst of unbelievable accomplishments, reality may be lurking. Here are three truths that Braves fans do not want to hear.
1. Max Fried Could Walk in Free Agency
Max Fried becomes an unrestricted Free Agent in 2025. Since returning from injury, he is pitching like a Cy Young candidate. Fried currently has a 7-1 record with a 2.64 ERA. In his last start, a blister developed on his finger. This has been an ongoing issue during Fried’s entire career.
When Fried is on the mound, he gives the Braves a chance to win. However, it seems that he has been more and more injury-prone as of late. If this trend continues, Fried could be asking for a lot of money because of his successful performance but the Braves may be hesitant to agree if they feel he will continue to miss starts due to injury.
Atlanta has shown hesitance with signing player's to long-term, high dollar contracts. So, it's not hard to assume that, similar to Swanson and Freeman, fans may see another favorite leaving the team sooner than later.
2. Braves Are Not World Series Ready Right Now
As of right now, the Atlanta Braves are not ready to compete for the World Series. The good news is that they have the opportunity to turn it around starting on Monday when they have a rematch series with their rivals, the Philadelphia Phillies.
The offense has been excellent and is likely the one part of the team that will perform well in the postseason. However, they cannot continue to have to cover multiple run deficits each night as they've had to do in the most recent series with the Marlins.
The bad news is that the pitching staff is currently struggling to a point that is very concerning. The Braves allowed 36 runs in their series against the Miami Marlins this weekend. Some may argue that this was just a hangover from clinching the NL East in their previous series but there has to be a line drawn somewhere. Frankly, the pitching staff has to improve if Atlanta wants to avoid an early exit in October.
3. The Phillies are Good, Real Good
Atlanta has a chance to cool off the Phillies starting on Monday but it is no small task. Philadelphia may have gotten buried in the division standings throughout the regular season but they have gotten hot just in time for the playoffs. This is eerily similar to what they did in 2022 as they played themselves to a World Series appearance.
With only a few games left in the season, it appears that Philadelphia could be in control of the top wild-card spot in the National League. The way things are trending at the moment, playoff deja vu seems more and more likely. The Phillies eliminated the Braves last season in the NLDS and could very well do the same in 2023.