Are the Braves for real?

With the MLB playoffs just around the corner, can the Braves lock up the National League eastern division?

Preseason 2019 MLB Network predictions

Playoff Bound

The Atlanta braves have been an exciting young team to watch not only this year, but since the beginning of the 2018 season. There were many "experts" that thought that the success that the Braves had in 2018 when they won the NL eastern division was a fluke. Because of this, many of these experts picked either the New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies or the Washington Nationals to win the division this year. The Braves have proved all of them wrong by leading the division for most of the year and by also locking up a playoff spot, which they did on September 14th. Now all they need to do is win the division.

Winning the Division

The Braves are very close to locking up the National League eastern division with just under two weeks left of the regular season. The magic number for them to clinch the division is currently at 2. Any combination of a Braves win or a Nationals loss will decrease that number. Once it becomes zero, the braves will have won the division. The team as a whole looks ready for a deep playoff run. They have recently gotten back two key players, Dansby Swanson and Nick Markakis, from injury. With these players back on the active roster, the team looks ready to compete with and possibly beat anyone they may face in the playoffs.

Playoff Outlook

Right now, it is looking like the first opponent that the Braves will face in the playoffs will be the St. Louis Cardinals. This may change since there is just over a week left of the regular season. The Cardinals are currently leading the National League Central with 84 wins. They are two games up on their division rivals the Chicago Cubs. Looking purely at records, the Cardinals and Cubs both have under 85 wins on the season, while the Braves have 93 wins. This would lead many to believe that the Braves are a better team, which they are, but playing either one of these teams will be a challenge for the Braves since they both have post season experience. Atlanta has been waiting since 1995 for the Braves to get back to the world series. Maybe this is the year for that to happen.