I generally try to avoid highlighting the same team in consecutive weeks in this area, but the Atlanta Braves have forced my hand. There was an argument last week that I was too aggressive in promoting the Braves to the top spot over the Dodgers. This time around, there isn’t a strong one for the Dodgers — assuming we’re talking about how things stand and not trying to predict the future.
The Braves are now 25-10. They have the best record in the majors by 1 ½ games, the best record in the NL by 2 ½ games, a better record than the two-time defending champs by 3 ½ games and an NL East lead of 8 ½ games.
Now, you might be wondering how many times the Braves have gotten off to this kind of a start. By record, though 35 games, the answer is not since the mound was moved back to 60 feet, six inches. That happened in 1893. They weren’t even the Braves. For this franchise, the only better starts came in:
- 1884: 28-7
- 1892: 26-9
- 1889: 26-9
That’s it. None of the stellar 1990s-2000s Braves teams were this good through 35 games. The 2021 champs weren’t even close. The 2022-23 juggernaut regular-season Braves didn’t do it. It didn’t happen in the other World Series championship seasons, 1914 (in Boston) or 1957 (in Milwaukee).
Nope. This Braves team stands a cut above the rest, at least so far. They’ve been ridiculous. And they only started 6-5, meaning they’ve now won 19 of their last 24. They are the only team in baseball that hasn’t lost a series yet. They have the best run differential by 15.
No team has scored more runs than the Braves’ 205. The team with the second-most runs scored (Cubs) has crossed home plate just 185 times. The Braves’ team OPS is .806, the highest mark in the majors. They’re hitting .276 and, yes, that also leads the majors.
On the pitching side, the Braves are second in ERA at 3.19, trailing only the Yankees. The rotation, despite having big injury issues heading into the season, is third in ERA at 3.17. The bullpen, with closer Raisel Iglesias sitting on the IL, is third at 3.22 and has only two blown saves.
They now have to deal with Ronald Acuña Jr. on the injured list due to a hamstring strain, but nothing has slowed this ballclub down to this point. And Acuña hasn’t even been that great, slashing .252/.362/.378 (110 OPS+) with two homers and seven steals in 11 tries.
Can they keep this up? Surely not. They are on pace to win 115 games. Surely we’ll see some regression from the rotation at a bare minimum and losing Acuña for a few weeks is bad news.
Right now, though, there is no question: The Braves are the best team in baseball.
Biggest Movers
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Rk
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Teams
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Chg
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Rcrd
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1
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Braves
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Austin Riley is hitting .205/.284/.341 this season. He did go 4 for 11 with a home run over the weekend, but it was at Coors Field and he struck out six times. Remember, he finished top seven in MVP voting three straight seasons from 2021-23. I have a suggestion for Riley: go back to the Stone Cold Steve Austin walk-up music.
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—
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25-10
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2
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Yankees
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Jasson Domínguez through four games is hitting .278 with two doubles and a home run. Remember, he’s still only 23 years old.
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1
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23-11
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3
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Cubs
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The Cubs have won 15 of 18 and haven’t lost at home since April 11.
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3
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22-12
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4
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Dodgers
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The Dodgers have actually only won six of their last 15 games.
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2
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21-13
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5
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Rays
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They’ve won nine of their last 10 and only the Braves, Yankees and Cubs have a better record than the Rays.
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3
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21-12
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6
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Padres
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Fernando Tatis Jr. is now up to 139 plate appearances with zero home runs. This team can’t contend all year with this guy slugging .311.
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2
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20-13
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7
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Cardinals
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The loss Sunday snapped a six-game winning streak. The Cardinals are working awfully hard to prove the doubters (I’m in that group) wrong this season.
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10
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20-14
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8
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Pirates
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The Pirates are in last place. The NL Central continues to play like the best division in baseball.
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1
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19-16
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9
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Reds
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All of a sudden, the Reds have lost four of five and are looking up in the standings by multiple games. That escalated quickly.
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4
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20-14
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10
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Brewers
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Jacob Misiorowski has 59 strikeouts in 38 innings this season, or 14.0 K/9. The single-season record in a full, qualified season is 13.82 (2019 Gerrit Cole).
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2
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18-15
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11
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Tigers
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Generally, nearly every team is going to be better at home than on the road. The Tigers have been overly drastic so far this season, however. They are 12-3 at home and 6-14 on the road. Maybe their next trip (at Royals; at Mets) will help?
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1
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18-17
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12
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Guardians
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Travis Bazzana, the No. 1 overall pick in 2024, made his major-league debut this past week. What a loaded draft this has been so far with Chase Burns (2), Nick Kurtz (4), Jac Caglianone (6), JJ Wetherholt (7), Christian Moore (8), Konnor Griffin (9), Cam Smith (14), Carson Benge (19) and Trey Yesavage (20) having already made The Show, several of who have greatly impressed.
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1
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18-17
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13
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Athletics
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Man, the three true outcomes are strong with Nick Kurtz, aren’t they? He’s up to 50 strikeouts with 34 walks and five home runs. That means 58.1% of his plate appearances result in no ball in the field of play. (I promise next week won’t be another Kurtz comment).
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2
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18-16
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14
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Diamondbacks
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Ketel Marte is really scuffling and his slash line has dropped to .214/.272/.357. They desperately need this guy to wake up. In all, the D-backs have lost nine of their last 12.
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5
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16-17
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15
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Blue Jays
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There’s still plenty of time, as this team proved just last season, but being seven games back in the AL East is quite an early hole.
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1
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16-18
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16
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Mariners
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Getting swept at home by the Royals killed all their good vibes. Now they have to deal with the Braves.
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2
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16-19
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17
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Rangers
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The offense as a whole hasn’t been great, but how about the breakout so far from Josh Jung? He’s hitting .325/.381/.535. Remember, he’s a former first-round pick who was once a top-30 prospect.
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2
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16-18
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18
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Royals
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The Royals have won seven of nine and are back within striking range in the AL Central. Slow starts can be overcome! (Especially when the division sucks.)
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10
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15-19
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19
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Phillies
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Don Mattingly is 5-1 now as Phillies manager and another week of this, his squad will be back on the precipice of .500. Oh and Zack Wheeler looked kind of like the Zack Wheeler of old on Friday. Things are interesting!
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11
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14-20
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20
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Marlins
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Can we skip ahead to the Sandy Alcantara trade rumors yet?
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—
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16-18
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21
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Nationals
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Cade Cavalli in his last three starts: 3.00 ERA, 15 IP, 25 K, 2 BB. Did this new front office shake something loose in him? He’s still only 27 and could end up being a big victory this season.
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—
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16-19
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22
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White Sox
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The White Sox are very likely to remain inconsistent. Sometimes, inconsistency is maddening. For White Sox fans who went through 2024, this team’s ability to get hot on a dime must be a breath of fresh air. And hey, they are only 1 ½ games out of first.
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4
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16-18
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23
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Orioles
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Since July 7, 2024, the Orioles are 124-144. That’s a 162-game pace of 75 wins. They won 75 games last year. They’re on pace to win 71 this season. At some point, you just have to accept that’s what you are. This is a low-to-mid 70s franchise right now.
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5
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15-19
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24
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Twins
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Remember when Royce Lewis looked like a future star? It’s been quite a while now. He wasn’t good last season and this year is hitting .176/.274/.324 with 25 strikeouts in 74 at-bats. He turns 27 next month.
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—
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15-20
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25
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Rockies
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Did the Rockies strike gold with the Tomoyuki Sugano signing? Through six starts, he has a 2.84 ERA (170 ERA+) and is already up to 1.5 WAR. He had 1.2 in 30 starts last year for the Orioles.
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3
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14-21
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26
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Astros
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The Astros are sixth in runs scored and still seven games under .500. I often say the most fun bad teams are the ones that can rake but not pitch. Hello, Houston.
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1
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14-21
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27
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Red Sox
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The Red Sox rank 29th in slugging percentage this season at .353. That is unacceptable.
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2
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13-21
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28
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Giants
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Last week, I noted that the Giants finally showed a pulse. Well, we’ve now lost that pulse. They’ve lost six in a row.
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9
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13-21
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29
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Mets
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I can’t believe how strongly David Stearns has anchored himself to Carlos Mendoza. But hey, the Mets won a series over the weekend. Maybe it’s something to build on as they head to Colorado.
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—
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12-22
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30
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Angels
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The Angels had a winning record through 21 games. The wheels have totally fallen off. They’ve now lost 12 of 14.
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7
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13-22
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