It's no secret that the Atlanta Braves are struggling offensively, leading to them losing ground in the NL East division race. Right now, they find themselves 7.5 games behind the Philadelphia Phillies for first place.
The Phillies have been impressive this season on both sides of the ball. Their starting pitching looks fantastic and the offense has been relentless at times. Yes, they've played lower-quality opponents than the Braves so far, but that point is moot when you consider the Phillies will face the same teams. Atlanta hasn't found consistent wins over the last month and a half.
The team has been making hard contact but they aren't seeing results from it. At some point, you have to think the offense will figure things out and get on a roll. Atlanta has been in this position before and if they've dug themselves before they can do it again.
However, that hasn't stopped a certain Phillies radio host from making a poor decision by declaring the NL East over as of June 6th. It seems he is misguided and forgot what happened the last time that statement was declared.
It’s June 6 and the NL East is over.
— Joe Giglio (@JoeGiglioSports) June 6, 2024
The 2024 Phillies won’t technically clinch until September, but this thing is done.https://t.co/Z7pPuh6c6D
Phillies radio host makes foolish decision, declaring NL East race with Braves over in June
Atlanta Braves fans will remember well the 2022 season when the team was 10.5 games behind the Mets for the division lead. SNY's Sal Licata proclaimed "The NL East is over!" on May 31, 2022, and that statement didn't end well for him or the Mets.
The Braves fought their way back and ultimately took the division lead after a three-game series sweep of the Mets in early October. All New York needed was to win one game of that series and they might have taken the division as both teams tied to end the season. Fortunately, the Braves swept them and the rest is history. As Ben Ingram from the Braves Radio Network said at the time, "You come at the kings, you better not miss!"
Atlanta has won the division six seasons in a row for a reason. They always find a way to get things done when it matters during the regular season. The Phillies have given the Braves fits during the last two years once reaching the playoffs. It seems odd to poke the bear when you consider the talent the Braves still have. It isn't like they are a completely different team this season. They are simply going through a rough stretch with injuries plaguing them a bit.
However, that didn't stop Joe Giglio of Sports Radio WIP from making that same statement on Thursday afternoon.
A team as talented as the Braves can turn things around in a heartbeat and the Phillies should know that all too well. They've been the hottest team coming into the postseason the last couple of seasons. So, Giglio is bafflingly brave for making such a definitive statement with a few months of baseball left.
He stated “The Braves came in here and won the first two games of the season…since then, the Phillies have been 10 games better than the Braves for the better part of two months. This thing hasn’t been close." Giglio continued, "I understand the date…but this division is over. It’s over. The Phillies have won the National League East.”
Give him credit in stating that the race hasn't been close. Atlanta hasn't been able to string together a long stretch of winning. Some of that stems from injuries to key players, but also from poor offensive production.
However, that should be his caution in making that statement in June. Despite those factors, the Braves have found a way to have basically the same record they had a season ago when they won the NL East and finished with 104 wins.
Giglio seems to be taking a page out of Licata's book and using this opportunity to make his name more notable. Licata received more attention after his declaration for the Mets and is now a household name in NY sports.
What Giglio doesn't understand is that by chasing the clout he seemingly desires, all he's done is allow a sleeping giant to awaken. The Braves certainly will say they don't pay attention to things like this but I guarantee you it will be on the back of their minds.
Yes, winning the division doesn't matter at the end of the day. Philly has proven that over the last two years. However, it's foolish to declare the division over after two months of baseball. The Braves are 10 games over .500 despite their struggles. This thing is hardly over.